Of Schoolgirls and Convicts
by shamrock920
Summary: Takes place like TCOR never happened. So postPB. Jack's in boarding school, Riddick comes back and Imam watches from the sidelines. As time goes on, they're wrapped up in a organized crime revolution. JR. [COMPLETE]
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: None of these characters except for the one (Liege) that I created belong to me. Riddick, Jack, Imam and the whole setting of this story in the Helion System do not belong to me. **

**Chapter I: The Opening**

'Exactly what the _hell _am I doing here?' Jack thought as she stayed the edges of the busy hallway. She took a shaky breath and continued down the hallway, trying to forget she was forced into this situation by her mentor.

After Riddick had left, she trusted Imam to take care of her and he did. In a manner of speaking. For five years he home schooled Jack, then decided it was time to send her to school. Of course, Imam just happened to have a religious retreat to a another planet in the Helion system, so Jack was sent to a boarding school.

'Didn't even think boarding schools existed anymore…' Jack thought glumly as she unsuccessfully tugged down the black pleated skirt that made up only half of the annoying uniform. She had to wear a white collared shirt that only went three quarters down her arms. She almost threw a fit when she learned she had to wear a tie. The black strangling device was loosely tied around her neck and at the bottom it held a silver pin depicting the school seal.

She had made up the fact that she had to wear this uniform by wearing her working boots, which threw off the entire outfit but she didn't care. Her thick-soled, black knee-high boots reminded her of Riddick and she wasn't going to let that go.

Jack hadn't been to her room yet, nor did she know who her roommate was, if she even had one. Digging around her shoulder bag for her schedule she barely noticed that someone had stopped in front of her until she saw a pair of boots similar to hers in front of her face.

Standing up her eyes drifted up the well-muscled legs, the pleated skirt, the open white shirt that revealed a white wife-beater underneath and finally the tie that was literally tied around her neck.

Jack stood staring for a few seconds until the girl raised her eyebrow and smirked. Glaring, Jack wanted to punch this girl's face. How _dare_ she mock her?

"Shut it." Jack growled, hoisting her strap over her shoulder.

"Cool it, I'm not laughing at ye. Just laughin' with ye."

"I wasn't laughing…"

"Of course ye weren't," the other girl quickly said and turned Jack to the hallway and started to walk down, making sure Jack was next to her. "No point in asking if yer lost. So what's a pretty lass like yerself doin' in this hellhole?"

"My mentor sent me…" Jack grumbled.

"I see…well, I go by Liege. What's yer name?"

"Jack." She replied. 'What kind of name is Liege, anyway?'

"The good kind. In this here…'institution of education'," both she and Jack smirked at that, "there be a fierce hierarchy. I'm closer to the top then most, but ye don't even want to be at the top."

She continued as they exited the building and walked further out on the campus. Jack quickly learned about what to do, where to go, what to avoid and most importantly, who to be with. She liked Liege, but still wasn't sure why she picked her up in the first place.

"Liege, do you know who I'm rooming with?"

Liege laughed and was tempted to ruffle Jack's hair. "Me, of course. They wouldn't trust a young one like ye with anyone else."

An almost silent whisper descended on the streets as a figure nimbly moved through the shadows. Another figure stood at the doorway of the house, pulling a shawl over their shoulders, trying to keep warm. A small floating light appeared in the shadows for a second, then disappeared.

The figure in the doorway breathed a final breath of fresh air then moved back in the house, closing and locking the door behind them.

Walking up the stairs, the figure passed two bedrooms, one used, one half-empty. Entering the second one, the figure slipped into bed and rested their hand on the other who was previously sleeping. This person rose from their rest and positioned a robe over their shoulders. Treading quietly across the floor and out the door, the person walked the length of the hallway to a pair of thick wooden doors. Quietly opening one door, they slipped inside and pushed the door shut, their hand lingering on the iron pull.

"Evening." A voice rumbled, just as dark and smooth as the shadows it came from.

"It is good to see you are still alive." The figure turned around, the dim revealing it was a man.

"You know why I'm here. Where is she?"

"You know she is not here. She is back on Helion Prime, attending school. I sent-"

He was cut off by a sharp blade put to his throat. Swallowing, he stared at the man who held the weapon.

"You mean she is alone. On a planet. By herself." He growled out, feeling his muscles twitch in anger.

"She is safe where she is. Around people her age and still receiving education. Let her be, I believe she is getting along well."

"Holy man, I told you to take care of her, not to drop her off at some school."

"Mr. Riddick, I understand you would rather her be with me, but she need to make this contact with a community. It is a safe one, I'm sure."


	2. Chapter II

**Notes to:**

**Scouse – Yep, you're right this is definitely going to be a Jack/Riddick. It will just take a few more chapters…and by a few I think six or so. But it will definitely get there. Sorry about that age problem, it does come up in a later chapter but in school Jack turns 18 and Liege is 19. Thanks for the review!**

**Bluerose – Thanks for the review, hopefully the plot will keep you interested.**

**Fan – thanks for the review, as well. Glad you liked it and I _think_ it still stays catchy, but I can only hope. **

**Chapter II: Not So Safe After All**

"Liege to Jack. Liege to Jack. Jack, are ye there?" Liege's accented voice sounded confident over the intercom.

"Jack here. How is the situation?"

"Quiet. Loaded?"

Jack double-checked the ammunition. "Fully. You?"

"Same. The enemy is centered between us. Rick 'n Falc are meetin' up with us halfway round."

"Rick to Liege and Jack."

"Good to hear ye, Rick. Falc?"

"Falc in. Clear shot of the enemy now."

"Lock and load. Jack 'n I will be up soon."

"Confirmed." The male voice cut off over the intercom.

Risking a glance over the rubble that was once a wall, Jack saw the signal. Locking the safety, she bent low and ran across the cracked pavement. Not disturbing one pebble, she almost glided to the taller, abandoned buildings.

Liege ran through the jagged edges of rock and stone, keeping the building in sight and her finger on the trigger. Reaching the building, she found an open window and jumped it, landing gracefully in the darkened room.

She glanced up as she saw a cloud of dust arise and saw Jack had done the same. Nodding briefly, Liege stood and ran to the back room, which was occupied by a pile of broken tables and chairs.

Jack carefully weaved through the broken pieces of wood, careful not to catch on anything. Arriving in the back, left-hand corner she grinned as she saw the hatch that matched almost perfectly with the floor.

Removing a titanium knife from her boot, Liege tapped the blade to the wall, causing Jack to glance up. Tossing the knife, Jack caught it single-handedly and got to work.

Liege stood at the door of the room, looking out for anyone else. Looking back she saw Jack had wedged the hatch open with the knife and was now checking for clearance.

Hearing three taps on the wall, Liege backed up and ran to the hatch, jumping over a broken table. Motioning for Jack to get in first, she dropped through, pulling the hatch closed behind her.

They didn't need light because they knew the route with their eyes closed. Finally after ten minutes of a fast jog, they reached the end of the tunnel.

Liege motioned for Jack to switch spots and as they did, Jack passed the knife back to her. Holding the blade, Liege tapped the hilt of the weapon on the ceiling in a pattern. Jack breathed softly and began to grin when she saw the ceiling being removed.

Blinking at the daylight, Jack was grateful for the strong arm pulling her up. She saw that it was Rick who had let them up this time.

Readjusting the light, she was on the lookout as Rick and Liege covered their tracks. Soon the trio was sprinting through the forest that the tunnel ended up in.

Coming to the edge, they saw Falc crouching over the cliff-side, watching the activity below. He stood and pointed down, where Liege and Jack took in the scene.

"Three snipers, four body guards." Liege confirmed, scanning the area.

"This won't be too hard, they're expecting a ground attack. Let's take out the snipers as quickly as possible then the four body guards." Rick suggested, checking to make sure his ammunition was ready to go.

"Jack, Falc, ye agree?" Liege asked, still watching the ongoings of the enemy.

"Fine by me." Jack replied, seeing Falc nod.

"Good. Falc, yer with me. Rick, Jack ye be together on this one. Falc and I will get the snipers, ye two take out the guards." Liege ordered.

"Let's make this quick and as clean as possible." Rick added, and soon he and Jack were making their way through the forest to a hidden path down the cliff.

The mirror reflected a troubled man, one who was unsure of his past decisions. Just in the other room, he was housing a criminal, a criminal who cared about a girl planets away.

Growling, Riddick splashed his face with cold water, washing away the hair he had just shaved off. Cleaning his shiv, he dried off with a towel. Stalking to the bed, he sat on the edge, his face in his hands.

_"Riddick?" A small voice stopped him in the doorway. Cursing silently, he turned to see Jack dressed in one of his shirts. Completely oversized for her, it hung off of one shoulder. _

_"Go to sleep, kid." He growled. This is _exactly _what he had been trying to avoid._

_"You're leaving, aren't you?"_

_She was met with silence as the murderer turned away, not wanting to face the small girl. _

_"You want your freedom, I know. I would like it someday too. You can and will go, but will you come back?"_

_Silver eyes snapped open at this statement and he turned to see Jack still standing where she was before. This girl was smart. Too smart to have it ruined by following a mass murderer around the universe._

_"C'mere, kid."_

_Jack padded across the rug and stood in front of Riddick. Not too close, not too far, just how he liked it. 'Damn this kid knows me well.'_

_"Yeah, I need my freedom. But freedom comes in many different forms. Remember that, Jack." He said, crouching down in front of her._

_"Will do. Bye, Riddick." She whispered, turning her face away so he wouldn't see her cry. _

_Resting his hand on her head, he stood up and turned to leave when he suddenly felt two small arms wrap around his waist and a face buried in his back. _

_Twisting his head to see Jack holding onto him, he smirked. Shifting, he picked her up and held her balanced on his hip. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him hard._

_"Kid, if I'm gonna come back, I need to breath."_

_He was strangely pleased to see her smile as she pulled back. _

_"I'll miss you, Riddick."_

_'You and only you will ever miss me.' He thought to himself. _

_"You behave for holy man, got that? Watch that temper of yours and keep your mouth clean. I don't want to come back to some shit-spewing teenager. Are we clear?"_

_"Crystal, sir." Jack mock-saluted him as he put her down. "Bye."_

_"See you around, Jack."_

Riddick found himself reclining on the bed when he shook himself out of his memories. That was one of the few good ones he had.

He wanted to find Jack and take her with him. They would make a great team, especially if he trained her. Nothing could stop them.

Resolving to discuss it with the holy man in the morning, Riddick looked out the window into the brightening sky. Nothing like sunlight ruined a good mood for him.


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter III: Battles of Competition and Nerves**

"Liege to Jack, Liege to Jack. Take aim, we're ready to begin attack."

"Jack to Liege. Confirmed." The line was cut as Falc and Liege aimed their long-distance rifles. The snipers were set up in a triangle, so Falc would pick off the left, Liege the right, then both of them would knock off the middle.

A minute later the three snipers were down and Liege leaned over the edge of the cliff to see Jack and Rick take out the four body guards.

Their target surrendered with his hands up in the air. Rick and Jack come out from their hidden posts and began to walk towards the enemy.

As this was happening, Falc and Liege strung their weapons over their back and began to slide down the side of the cliff, jumping and leaping by the end. They ran up to Jack and Rick.

"Mission successful!" Jack crowed as she high-fived Liege.

"Ye hear that? Gotcha this time!" Liege shouted as the enemy walked up to them.

Smiling, he shook their hands. The five of them greeted the three snipers and the body guards who were recovering from the shots.

"Good idea to attack from behind, Liege." The target complimented, smiling at his opponents.

"Thanks, hope yer team wasn't bruised up too bad." Liege replied, looking at her previous targets.

"Nope, we're good. Same time next month?"

"Sounds good."

They turned and began to walk back to the campus, glad at the exercise.

"Nothing like a game of well-planned paintball to get the blood going." Rick commented as they neared the campus buildings.

The sun was just rising as Liege and Jack slipped into their room, quietly locking the door behind them.

"We are damn lucky we don't have classes today, Liege." Jack mumbled as she surveyed the chaos that was their room. "I think we should do some spring cleaning after we nap."

Liege didn't even lift her head from the mattress she was occupying but instead gave Jack the finger and growled incoherent curses into the pillow.

"What was that?"

"I said," Liege snarled as she supported herself on her elbows, "it's almost summer break. We missed spring."

"So?"

"Just go to sleep, Jack."

Sighing, Jack turned around to change, hearing Liege's head flop back into the pillow. As she tugged on Riddick's shirt, she slipped under her cold covers.

Her back to the wall and her eyes trained on the window, Jack slowly fell to sleep, her senses still honed to the surroundings.

Riddick sat in the kitchen sharpening his shiv, trying to occupy his time before Imam would awaken. He hadn't been able to sleep after remembering his departure from Jack, so he decided to use his time.

His nerves were calmed by the metal shriek of the blade being sharpened and he closed his eyes, paying close attention to his other senses. He suddenly stood and sheathed his blades as he heard someone moving about upstairs.

He followed the movements and judging by the gait and weight of the footsteps, he believed it to be Imam. His observations proved correct as the holy man descended the stairs. Tilting his head in greeting, Imam moved past Riddick to start making breakfast.

"You could not sleep, Mr. Riddick?" Imam asked, setting a cutting board onto the counter.

Riddick growled in response as he heard another moving about upstairs. He judged this to be Imam's wife.

"Perhaps you were thinking of little Jack?" He questioned, quieter this time and he smiled inwardly when he saw the reflection of Riddick's head whip around to face Imam's back.

"It's been years since Jack was 'little', I bet." He replied, watching the other man busy himself with cutting and slicing fruits.

"That is true. Speaking of the little devil, a message came from her this morning. I took the liberty of printing out a copy. It is in the study if you wish to see it."

Riddick's heart skipped a beat when he thought of a form of communication to Jack. Maybe there was a way after all. He silently moved out of the kitchen and swiftly walked to the study. He saw the page lying on the desk and he picked it up.

His cold countenance broke into a small smirk as he scanned the contents and his right eye even twitched. 'What has Jack become?'

He folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket, saving it for a closer read later. He looked over at the other parts of the study and seeing a miniature library, he walked over and began to look at the titles.

He stepped back as he heard Imam enter the room and watched him carefully as he too stepped in front of the shelves. Riddick observed the other man's hands dance across the spines of the books and finally stop on one.

Pulling it out he turned around and handed it to Riddick.

"This was one of her favorites." He said quietly as he moved to his desk where he sorted a few papers and selecting one, walked out of the room leaving Riddick to himself.

"Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare…sounds old." He said to himself as he sat down. Propping up his legs, he opened the well-worn book and began to read.


	4. Chapter IV

**To Scouse: Whee, you're my reason to keep posting! Glad you like it! And yes, Liege does have an Irish accent! It comes up later, but cookies to you for noticing it!**

**Chapter IV: Of Blades and Tears Part I**

"Liege, get your lazy ass out of bed! We've been asleep for hours! It's almost dinner!" Jack shouted as she unsuccessfully tried to pull the covers from her friend.

"Grrfmmmbh…"

"C'mon! And we've got to shower too! You're covered in dirt and Allah knows what else!" Jack didn't even realize she had made a reference to Imam's god, but Liege's head snapped up and her eyes narrowed at Jack.

"Ye said ye didn't believe in a god."

"I don't…oh. That. My mentor does, and I picked it up from him. Just phrases mind you. Now c'mon, get showering!" Jack exclaimed, taking the opportunity of yanking the covers beneath Liege from under her, making her roommate fall with a 'thump' to the floor.

"Once 'm clean yer goin' to regret that, lassie." Liege threatened as she gathered herself up from the floor and stomped into the bathroom.

Jack grinned as she headed for the communal showers. Liege had various tattoos on her body and if she was seen with them in the communal showers, someone would be sure to tell. Jack was envious of her roommates tattoos, but Liege promised Jack that she would help her get real ones, like the ones from old earth.

When Jack entered the room again, she blushed when she walked in on Liege just slipping her bra on. Quickly turning around to close the door she evened her breathing and walked over to her drawers of clothes.

"…Jack?" Liege quietly asked as she pulled on a black wife beater over ripped and baggy jeans.

"Yeah?" Jack replied, hoping she wouldn't say anything about what had just happened.

"I know this is a tad weird 'n all…but…ye know I never talk about me family and how I don't really discuss the past."

"Yes…"

"Well, I don't really have a place to go anymore during the summer vacation…and I don't want to stay here like I did last year. And I know I'm sorta pressing into yer life away from school but could-"

"I would _love _it if you could stay with me during the summer. It will be so boring if I just spend it with Imam. If he is back from his religious outing that is." Jack finished, receiving a smile from Liege.

"Thas wonderful. 'm glad I've got a place to go." She replied, standing up and pulling Jack into a strong hug. Jack was surprised by this show of affection and she closed her eyes and hugged her back.

Pulling back, Liege ruffled Jacks short hair and then grabbed her wallet and keys from the desk. Jack quickly pulled on a sweatshirt over her shirt and followed Liege out of the room.

They walked across the busy campus, where, since it was the weekend, girls could have guys over on campus. The pair received wolf-whistles and catcalls, but both ignored them.

"Damn bastards…" Liege muttered as she stalked down another pathway leading to a more secluded part of campus. "If I could just have my way…"

'Riddick would've torn them limb from limb.' Jack suddenly thought. She hadn't really thought about him since she got to boarding school. When she wasn't working, Liege dragged her off to work out together or to simply walk around and talk. Jack missed Riddick and wanted to see him again.

"Jack? Jack? Calling Jack! JACK!" Liege shouted in her ear, causing Jack to startle and fall back onto the ground. The other girl crouched down and looked at her friend in a very intense manner that reminded Jack of Riddick. 'Why am I always thinking about him now?'

"Jack, who ye be thinkin' bout?" Her accent was a little heavier then usual, but that is what happened when Liege became frustrated or just emotional.

"An old friend of mine, that's all." She replied, standing up and dusting herself off.

"'n a very _good_ friend at that." Liege casually remarked and she dug around her deep pockets for something.

"And what's **that** supposed to mean!"

"Ye had a lovesick puppy look." Jack still looked confused. "I mean, ye must've been or still in love with 'im. Ye never have the fond look in yer eyes. He must've been a good lad."

Jack couldn't find words to form any of her racing thoughts. Liege raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Or was it a lass?"

Jack's confusion turned to mock anger as she yelled a war cry and began to chase Liege. They laughed as they ran down the hill that led to the main road.

They slowed down and their laughter died down as they ran out of breath. Walking down the road, they talked about the good year they had both had.

The road ended at a blockade into a smaller city on Helion Prime. Showing their IDs, they were waved through into the city. Deciding on one of the huge open-air markets, they weaved through the crowded streets.

The huge artistic buildings overshadowed the streets and were often used as meeting places. Crossing a street, Jack and Liege walked next to each other as they neared the market.

Liege was in the middle of telling Jack a story about Rick when she suddenly realized Jack wasn't walking next to her. Looking back she saw Jack was enraptured by a huge screen mounted overheard. Jogging back she decided not to snap at Jack but to see what she was watching.

Propping her sunglasses on her forehead, she listened to the top story of the evening. Liege didn't miss the grin on Jacks face, either.

"This evening on Helion Prime Reports, we have the top story on Richard B. Riddick, the infamous criminal who escaped from top-security prison Butcher Bay. A recent chain of murders have been linked to this criminal and it is reported he is at large and dangerous.

If you have ever been in contact with this dangerous man, or know any information concerning his present whereabouts, please contact us.

Keep your children close by and keep an…"

The news faded out as Liege followed a now angry Jack through the crowds who still had their heads arched up at the gruesome images of the murders that was foreground to the continuing news report on Riddick.

"Jack, why do ye care bout 'im anyway?"

"I don't, it's just that they're so stupid. He would _never_ attack woman or child. Why would he murder people anyway? He wants the bounties off his head, not more piled on. Idiots…the whole lot of them." Jack rambled as she increased her pace towards the open-air market.

Liege wasn't sure if Jack realized what she said, but she listened as Jack continued.

"Jack…luv, yer theories sound better then those shitheads, but don't ye think yer takin' it a bit far?" Liege tried to console her friend but even through her dark lenses she could see Jack was very angry.

"THEY AREN'T THEORIES! I-" Jack suddenly turned on Liege and began to scream, but Liege smacked her hand over his friends mouth and began to drag her away.

"There be nothin' to see here, ye bastards 'n bitches. The lass just forget the mornin' meds. Now move the 'ell away before I beat ye all into an unrecognizable pulp." Liege threatened as she moved farther away from the crowds.

She turned to see tears making tracks down Jacks face and she ducked behind a stall and held Jack's hand as she continued to walk between the stalls.

Quickly turning a corner, she moved Jack in front of her and pushed her upwards. Jack grabbed at the ladder that went up a wall and began to climb. Knowing Liege was behind her she continue up until she found the top. Sitting in the rubble and dirt on the roof, tears began to flow.

Liege jumped up and sat down next to her friend and held her for a few minutes.

"Oh Jack, what 'as he done to ye?" Liege whispered as she rocked her roommate back and forth.

Riddick rubbed his eyes from reading the text in form of a play and decided that it wasn't any wonder that Jack had liked this book. She would relate with that girl masquerading as a young man in service of Count Orsino.

Closing the book, he set it on the table and got up to stretch. As he walked to the balcony to watch the oncoming of darkness, he felt something was wrong. He wasn't sure what, but he knew something was right.

He slipped his hand into the pocket with the letter and unfolded it, knowing this would be the first time of many times reading this letter.

_Dear Imam,_

_I am doing very well in school, just like you predicted. I am receiving top marks in all of my classes, even mathematics, which is really boring and pointless, I mean, why will I ever need to know the log of 63? _

_As I've told you, my roommate Liege has become a very good friend of mine. We have most of classes and frees together so it's a good time to bond. Once again, you were right. It was a little strange to be so rudely forced (that would be because of you, dear Imam) into such a complex community. But once I met up with Liege and she taught me about the hierarchy of the school it became better._

_She introduced to two of her other friends, Rick and Falc. Both are really nice, but that doesn't mean I'll be bringing any of them home soon. Allah knows what would happen if Riddick ever came back and saw one of them at home. _

'She's got that right. No one goes near Jack.' Riddick subconsciously thought as he continued to read the letter.

_Rick is a bit of a…playboy (sorry for the terminology) so he is a good friend but not much more. He is also overly arrogant and he and Liege compete all the time, but go figure, Liege being more like Riddick, she wins. I'm not saying that Liege is arrogant, but you get the idea. _

_Falc is a very nice guy, although a bit quiet sometimes. He is very tall and strong, not to mention really smart and quick on his feet. While he doesn't usually get into fights like me and Liege Liege, he doesn't believe in hitting women, which is a little different from some of the other guys who hunt the campus for stupid girls to sleep with. _

_I think I could like Falc as more then a friend, and Liege might see that, but just the other day she paired me up with Rick instead of Falc in a game we were playing. I wouldn't want to initiate anything with Falc, since he would be the type to back away and pull into himself. Although I can handle that, because his ass is so gorgeous! Whoops, pretend I didn't say that. _

Riddick's eye twitched again and he reminded himself to skip that line whenever he read this again. Shaking his head at Jack's antics, he continued to read.

_I'm excited for summer and I can't wait to get back home. School is nice, but home is better. I hope your religious retreat is going well. _

_Sincerely,_

_Jack_

_P.S. – have you heard any word from the Big Bad, Dark and Evil?_

Riddick laughed out loud at the last line as he folded the paper back up and slipped it into his pocket. 'Big Bad, Dark and Evil' indeed, Jack.

He wasn't at all content with the idea of Jack forming a relationship with any man, especially one named Falc. But at least she had enough sense to stay away from that playboy, Rick. With these thoughts, Riddick cracked his neck and jumped from the balcony.

Walking through the darkened streets, he avoided the lamplight and any other sources of light. As he went through the city he thought, 'You should be excited for the summer, Jack. You're going to have a visitor.'


	5. Chapter V

**Chapter V: Of Blades and Tears Part II**

Jack had fallen asleep against Liege's shoulder and her friend watched out over the market, watching people barter and shout for purchases and deals.

She was mesmerized by the vibrant colours of the robes and shawls that the people wore as they swayed back and forth within the crowds of traders and consumers. Women who were usually quiet by order of their culture and religion squawked and howled like animals as they bargained for a deal. The emotions that crossed the man's face as the value of his goods decreased were endlessly amusing. The arguments always ended with the woman victoriously walking away, head held high and ready for another good deal.

As the sun began to set, the orange canvas that shaded the crowds from the sun's light were almost lit to a fiery shade of red and the air was filled with sounds of last minute purchases. The bejeweled hands of the rich merchants flashed in the light of the sinking sun as they gestured wildly, jumping from one brilliant trading plan to another.

Liege was almost hypnotized by all the sights and sounds and barely noticed Jack stirring. She looked down, slightly startled, but smiled when she saw Jack's eyes were not longer teary and sad.

Jack's chocolate-coloured hair shined in the fading light as she sat up and let it tumble down to her waist. She turned her back to Liege who automatically moved forward to quickly braid the long mane. When she wrapped the elastic around the bottom, she looked up to see Jack's eyes glint laughingly.

"So I assume ye will be tellin' me what tha' little shoutin' match was for later?" Liege asked as she stood up, stretching her cramped legs.

"That I will." Jack replied, mocking Liege by copying her accent.

With a light smack from her friend, Jack walked to the edge of the roof and began to descend the ladder with Liege following. When they both hit the ground, they stood gracefully and walked through the market that was beginning to close down.

Liege stopped at one of the stalls and looked into it to see if anyone was hiding behind the flaps of canvas that covered it. Trinkets hung from a wooden support pole and shone, glittered and tinkled as the breeze flowed through them.

Jack busied herself gently pawing through a large box of rings and pendants that sat on the cloth covered purchase counter. Liege growled and was about to grab Jack and force her to leave when a familiar face came into view.

"Liege! My old friend, what are you doing here?" A cheerful voice called from the tent, startling Jack.

"Khan, you old bastard, get out here. I've been waiting for twenty minutes!" Liege raised her voice, but the humor was still there. Jack frowned but continued to look through the rings.

"Watch your mouth, you little tramp." An imposing, well-muscled man stepped out from within the tent. At least six feet tall, he towered over Jack and Liege but neither of them were bothered by it. A red sash was tied around his head, pulling his hair back and making his face easier to see.

Jack quickly took in his figure, making sure not to forget it. Riddick always told her to look out for people she might need to go to help for in the future.

What seemed to be a claw mark traveled from beneath the right side of his face down to his neck where it must've continued beneath his robe. Dark eyes glowed from their handsomely set sockets that flowed into the darkly bronzed skin. Other scars lined his arms, but they were mostly covered by leather cuffs.

As he smiled when he talked to Liege, Jack noted the few gold teeth in his otherwise flawless mouth. She immediately took notice of the scimitar that hung as his waist.

She didn't listen to his conversation with Liege, but instead kept looking through the rings and pendants. She wasn't sure why she was doing this, but she felt something she knew was in there. Either that or she was subconsciously giving herself a reason to pass the time.

"Khan, m goin' to need custom-made leather cuffs for the summer. 'm going away and I be wanting nearby place to hold me knives." Liege said, her eyes making contact with Khans, as if sending him a second silent message.

"Of course. Are you in need of any new blades? I have a new stock, you know." His business man was back in place as he gestured to the wall behind him that held different blades and weapons.

"It wouldn't hurt. I want to see that one, the seamless blade with red inlay." She described it, taking time as he turned to take the blade from the wall to see what Jack was looking at.

"Found somethin', Jack?" She asked, glancing over at the ring Jack was holding.

"Yeah, I have. Can I get it?" She asked, looking up at her taller friend. Jack was intrigued by the way the light glinted off Liege's eyes. They were a copper golden colour and were usually dark, but now they seemed to lighten with the setting sun.

"Of course ye can. Do ye have money on ye?" Liege asked, looking with amusement as she watched Khan wrestle the cord that attached the blade to the wall.

"I left it back in the room, sorry. Can you…" Jack trailed off, holding the ring tightly in her hand.

"If it means that much to ye, course I'll buy it. Consider it…a belated birthday gift of sorts." Liege mused, her spirits lifted by the smile that lightened Jack's face.

"Finally! I am too good for my own wellbeing. At tying blades to a wall, that is." Khan approached the pair, looking slightly disheveled.

Jack watched as Liege casually took the offered blade and tested its weight. She knew Liege was talented with blades, considering she had picked almost every old lock in the school with one.

"Where is it from? The ring, that is." She asked, twisting the blade through her hand, than stopping it to feel how sharp it was.

"Ah yes…the man who gave it to me said it was an artifact from a distant planet…yet I cannot remember the name…I think it started with an 'F'." Khan supplied, looking very thoughtful as he tried hard to remember its origin.

Liege began to count the money for Jack's ring when she heard Khan give a triumphant 'Ahha' from the depths of the tent, where he had gone looking for more information.

"Where is it from, Khan?" She asked again, this time handing money over for Jacks ring.

"Furya."

Riddick had prowled the streets that night, hoping to find a victim that could be knocked off and no one would notice, but as luck would have it, he was almost alone the entire night.

He wanted to get back to Helion Prime to see Jack. He knew Jack was able to take care of herself and it seemed like this Liege had an eye on her as well.

He was stretched out on the bed that Imam had let him sleep in and realized there was no way he could get rest with his blood pumping the way it was. Getting up, he treaded to an exercise room that Imam used mostly for meditation.

In less then fifteen minutes sweat glistened and shined as he went through every defense and offense movement he knew. He continued this until he felt the heat of the rising sun coming through the window.

Riddick became annoyed with himself for losing track of time like that and decided he should shower before Imam woke and began to start the day. Moving down the hallway he made note to check Imam's computer, to see if Jack had sent another message.

Ten minutes later he stood refreshed and damp in front of the holy man's computer. Sitting down he looked through the desktop to find a little flag at a folder.

Opening the folder, he found it to be full of messages from Jack and there was a new one at the top. Smirking, he opened it and before he even read it, sent it to be printed.

As he waited, he heard Imam at the door and he was standing and tense before the other man even got a foot over the threshold.

"I see you went looking for more messages from Jack." He noted, hearing the printer at work.

"Wasn't too hard to find." He replied, moving to the printer to pick up the message. He folded it up without glancing at it and slipped it into his pocket next to the previous one.

"Good morning to you, Mr. Riddick." Imam said as the goggled man slipped out the door of the study.

Riddick went the balcony of his room and sat in a comfortable chair and propped his legs up on the railing. Opening the message he leaned back into the chair to read.

_Dear Imam,_

_I hope all is well with you. Thank you for replying so quickly. I'm a little sad to hear that you haven't heard from Riddick, but I've come to expect disappointment. _

_I am doing quite well myself and my first year away at boarding school has gone very well. I'm sure you will be receiving my grades soon, and you should be pleased by them. Well, you better be, I didn't get sent to this school for nothing. _

_There is a policy at school that if a friend of yours does not have a place to go during the summer she can stay with a friend of hers. Liege has no family to return to and she does not want to stay another summer in the school grounds, I mean hey, I wouldn't either. The food here sucks compared to yours. Sorry for the bad language, Imam. _

_Back to the point, I was hoping she could stay with us during the summer. She is more then capable of taking care of herself and if you want us to work she will be more then glad to work for her keep. _

_Please consider this before you say no. I would like her to come too because I'll be lonely during the day when you're away teaching religion classes. _

_Have you watched the news recently? I was in the city with Liege when I heard about the new string of murders. And I'm sure you can guess who was accused of being behind them. Yep, Big Bad, Dark and Evil. It's complete bullshit, Imam. Do not believe any of it. He would never harm a woman or child, and that's exactly what they're accusing him of. _

_He is a good man, Imam and he would never do that. He never once threatened me before he left. I hope he knows this. I know he isn't the one behind these murders. Besides, he wants the bounties off his head, not to be drowned in them. That and I don't know how well he would deal with another Johns. _

_When I went into the city, Liege stopped in a marketplace to specifically talk to one merchant. They were talking about knives, but I think something else was going on. There was too much eye contact for a normal purchase. Sure, it was someone she knew from a while ago, but something seemed off. Don't jump to conclusions, Imam, I'm sure Liege isn't a bad person. Or criminal. Or thief. Or mass murderer…don't think I missed any categories. _

_I also bought a very interesting ring. I will show it to you when I arrive home, but it is a plan silver ring but it is what is inscribed on the inside of it that made me buy it. It says "Possession of R.B.R." Now I'm sure there are thousands of people in the universe with those initials, but the merchant, whose name was Khan, said it was an artifact from a planet called Furya. _

_If it did belong to him, then why would it have been in this place called Furya? Is that where he is from? Did he ever tell you what planet he was from? It was tested as holding dust from the planet Furya, so maybe some was left from when he took it with him from that place._

_Maybe it will be clearer if I explain it in person. I will be looking into this planet in the school library. Maybe I can find some information there. _

_I would like it if you could give me some dates so I can book tickets for a transport from here to home. Hope to talk to you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Jack_

Riddick's head spun as he read the message, partially from the fierce defense Jack showed of him, and from this ring with his initials on the inside.

Growling, he was tempted to smash his fist into the stone wall next to him, but he would have to explain it to Imam, so he decided against it.

He had possessed a ring like that in Butcher Bay. During his escape it had slipped off his finger. He wasn't risking his freedom for a ring so he had left it there. Riddick wasn't even going to begin to wonder how it had gotten into this merchants hands and by some fate land in Jack's hands.

So, there were tests claiming it was from Furya. He hoped Jack would do thorough research. It had to be either her or Imam because he had no patience to look for a book, much less look through it for a piece of information. Nor did he even have enough patience to search for it on a search engine.

Sitting back, he read the description of Khan again. A spark of familiarity went off in his mind and he decided that a little investigation couldn't hurt.

He became anxious for sundown, when he could more easily move through the streets. It was a short window of time where he could catch merchants before they packed up their stalls. He sat in the chair and began to sharpen his knives again, hoping it would pass the time away quickly.


	6. Chapter VI

**Chapter VI: Loud Mercs and Tricksy Girls**

Jack had received a reply from Imam saying she was more then welcome to bring Liege with her for the summer. She immediately told Liege who was ecstatic.

School had ended and the pair was going to leave that day, but Jack had a few concerns with packing, considering she had accumulated more clothes and accessories during the school year then she'd ever imagine.

"Lieeeeeeeeeeeeege! You've GOT to help me!" Jack shouted, looking around at all her stuff scattered everywhere. Liege had already packed everything into a canvas bag, a replica of the ones used in the army on old earth.

The taller girl walked in, in the process of strapping on her new cuffs that served as knife-sheathes. Smirking she watched the distress cross Jack's face. She also saw how Jack subconsciously rubbed the ring that she had put on a chain to hang around her neck. Jack hadn't taken it off since the day it went on and when she upset or nervous she would rub it.

"What seems to be the problem, lass?" Liege sarcastically asked, toeing what seemed to be a pile of shirts.

"This. Won't. Fit. In."

"So then get it shipped home. Can we go now?" Liege replied shortly, sitting on the stripped bed.

"Oh…yeah. Good idea. Let me box it then. If you help we can get to the transport sooner." That was all Jack needed to say to have Liege seize cardboard boxes, a role of duct tape and her clothes.

An hour later they were waved into the city and they began their trek across it to the transport loading dock. Liege refused to have her bag shipped so she carried it with her. Jack, on the other hand, carried a small messenger bag.

Arriving at the crowded port, the pair got on line to get their tickets checked. This proved to be a test of patience on both parts, especially Jack.

"You know, they could have more people working…then this wouldn't take so long." She said after ten minutes.

"Or maybe…if we just obliterated everyone in front of us it wouldn't take this long." Jack growled after twenty minutes.

"Let's cut the line. This is _insane_ and I'm going to go CRAZY." Jack begged after thirty minutes.

"Jack, lass. Hold tight. Why don't ye go get something for us to eat n drink on the transport and I'll wait." Liege suggested, not the least bit bothered by waiting.

"YES! I'll be back!" Jack almost skipped out of the waiting area. Rolling her eyes, Liege turned her eyes back towards the line.

Sensing a change in the immediate atmosphere she whipped her head around to see a group of mercs walking through the waiting area.

They were whispering, but she trained her sense of hearing to be very sharp and she intently listened to their conversation.

"I've got a damn good lead on good ole' dickhead." One said, grinning from ear to ear.

"You mean Riddick?" a younger merc asked, obviously inexperienced. He was cuffed on the back of the head and ordered to be silent.

"You know what the bounty for this bitch is?"

"No. Please tell me I'm risking my ass for a good cause."

"Sweet thing, this is the best of the good causes. You and I, split 3.5 mil. And he ain't far away. Last I heard he was hiding away on Helion Prime."

Liege almost choked on the number but turned it into a cough. The mercs were out of range by the time she recovered and just at that moment Jack came bounding back in, well-stocked for a short trip.

"Hey, we're almost there!" Jack happily announced, handing her friend a slushy. Taking a sip of hers, Jack noticed how pale Liege had become.

"Oy, Liege, you alright?"

"Fine…just fine…I…Jack, remember that night you told me about him?" She stressed the last word in a hissed whisper.

"Yeah, why?" Jack suddenly looked concerned.

"Those mercs just said he was on Helion Prime. They're goin' after 'im on a bounty. Jack, what are ye goin' to do? Ye goin' to warn 'im, right?" Liege spilled out the information she just heard.

"I've got an idea. You saw where they went right?"

Liege nodded and suddenly knew Jack was planning something good. Something very good, yet simple. She listened intently as Jack spilled her plan and by the time she was done, they were at the front of the line.

Almost gagging at the sweet smile of the desk worker, Liege and Jack started towards their gate. Breathing deeply, Liege turned to Jack.

"Jack, if I don't make it back in time, get on that transport. I'll meet ye there, alright?"

"Got it, Liege. I'll talk to Imam as soon as I can. You've got about forty minutes. Get to work."


	7. Chapter VII

**Before we get started thanks must go to:  
TotallyRiddickObsessed – hey, so am I! Thanks for the quick reviews and yeah, because I've been sitting at my laptop all day switching between this story and an English essay, I've been able to update quickly. Plus, how can I not with all these great reviews! Thanks again!**

**Mrs. Skywalker – glad you like it. I'm a Star Wars fan too, and Mark (ie Luke)'s cousin lives across the street from me and one time I was trickotreating and he opened the door and gave me candy. My claim to fame, man. Thanks for reviewing and keep reading! Then I'll keep posting. **

**Chapter VII: Convicts and Merchants**

Imam had replied with approval of Jack bringing her friend for the summer when he arrived home, on Helion Prime. Riddick had accompanied him, glad to have the privacy of a small ship that Imam had purchased to make his religious retreats easier to arrive and depart from.

Riddick had inspected Imam's home from basement to roof, checking every room for bugs or phone taps. He trusted Imam, but with no one watching the house in Imam's absence, merc rats might've gone through it.

Finding no trace of any such danger, Riddick set to work revamping the houses' security system. He was accepting the fact that the last thing he wanted was for Jack to get hurt. While he was looking forward to seeing Jack after all these years, he was unsure as to how she would feel.

During the day Riddick worked out, ate and updated the security systems and at night he would scout out potential safe houses that they could run to if anything were to happen. He began to plot and memorize escape routes to the closest port and checked out the local weapons supplier.

He had found nothing on Khan, the merchant, while on the outer Helion planet. But now that he was on Helion Prime, he figured he could find something. Khan must pass through this city somewhat regularly, considering it was the main city of Helion Prime.

He slipped out during the late afternoon to begin his search for Khan and was satisfied to see the rows of stalls. Avoiding the old bargaining women who had no qualms over beating anyone with their canes, he finally stopped at one stall, seeing it was similar to the one Jack described in a later message.

If they sell the same goods, they should be in some sort of contact with each other, Riddick concluded, looking at the ancient weapons mounted on the back of the stall.

He particularly liked the look of the mace and decided he must find a time to put it to use at some point. Riddick tensed as he saw a merchant burst into the stall, almost missing Riddick standing there.

"Forgive me, good sir, I did not see you there. Is there something I can help you with?" The short merchant asked, his bronze bangles clinking as he moved his arms.

"Yes. But not here."

"You are welcome to come into my tent, good sir." The merchant smiled as he opened the drape to the outside. Riddick ducked his head and stepped in, observing his surroundings with all of his senses.

His nose was overwhelmed by spices and incense which seemed to be part of the very canvas that made up the tent. He heard rattles of jewelry and the swoosh of cloth as the merchant closed his stall briefly.

As Riddick followed the man deeper into the tent, he felt that there was no fear from the merchant, just curiosity and greed.

Sitting down onto plush silk and satin pillows, the merchant motioned for Riddick to do the same. Easing himself to the floor, he looked directly at the merchant who was twisting a ring around one finger.

"So, what can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for information a certain merchant." Riddick held up a credit chip that the merchant eyed warily. "This has sufficient pay on it for one of those ancient weapons you hang outside."

"I see. And who is this merchant?" The shorter man asked, taking the offered drink from a slave girl who silently held out the tray.

Riddick clenched his jaw as he saw how young the slave girl was. Deciding that this information was more important then fighting over a slave girl, the convict continued the conversation.

"His name is Khan. He sells some of the similar goods you do and was recently seen in a smaller city on Helion Prime." Riddick informed the merchant, declining the tea offered to him by the slave girl.

As she backed away, the merchant rubbed his chin and looked deep in thought.

Riddick on the other hand wanted to leave quickly, the incense was messing with his senses a little bit, but that little bit was too much for his liking.

"Yes, I know of this Khan. He is a good merchant, but it is rumored he supplies and traffics illegal weaponry to rebel groups and organized crime. Thankfully, there are no such groups here on Helion Prime.

I have seen him once or twice and the scars on his body have a mysterious past, or so I hear. He once served as a weapons commander for a family of organized crime. It was a very strong family that held power over much of the government in at least three systems.

He was in charge of an assassination. A mission to kill a man with the political motive to wipe out organized crime. Needless to say, the attack failed and Khan was apparently tortured for hours on end, thus receiving the scars on his body. But, a young woman in the family defended him, and there was a rumor they were lovers, but that was never followed up on.

Finding the courage to step up to face her family, she made a deal with the patriarch. If she could kill this man, they would set Khan free. But, as all romantic tragedies end, she did kill the man, only to be killed herself by an epidemic that raged in that system for a short period of time.

The family kept in touch with Khan because he still had a constant supply of weapons and he could ship them to the buyers right beneath the government's nose and never be caught. To this day he has never been caught.

But this is only rumor I have heard over long hours of talking with the influence of strong tea. Now, that chip you held in front of me earlier." The merchant finished, holding his hand for the chip.

Riddick would have killed him then and there for owning a slave girl, but there would be too many witnesses. Depositing the chip in his hand, Riddick stood and let himself out from the tent, grateful to be breathing fresh air.


	8. Chapter VIII

**Chapter VIII: Cheating Mercs**

Jack fidgeted with the strap of her bag as she kept glancing at the direction where Liege had gone in. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and concentrated on the sounds around her, knowing the most helpful thing she could do was just that. To listen for danger.

Liege slipped through the security barely being noticed, and hid beneath the hull of one ship as she looked for her target. The mercs had stupidly worn the insignia of their ship on the back of their jackets, so she knew which on the look for. Spotting the insignia on the hull of a ship only two docking stations away, she swiftly ran through and found herself at the hull.

Unsheathing her new blade, she fiddled with the lock holding the repair plate that was removed to check the system grid. It finally came loose and with a whoosh of air, slid down and to the side.

Expecting the see the grid right there, Liege cursed as she saw it was further into the ship. Setting her wristwatch for no more then twenty minutes she lifted herself up into the hull and flicked on a flashlight.

The blue orb of the light floated in front of her and followed her as she ducked under pipes and climbed over steel tubs. She had no idea where exactly she was going but she smiled when she found the system grid.

Putting away her knife, she slipped it into her left cuff and took out small wire-thin tools. She cursed when she checked her watch a little later to see she only had five minutes left.

Wishing she had paid closer attention in her engineering class, she tried to remember how to close down the take-off system but keep the other ones up and running. Breathing deeply she put away her tools and took out her knife again.

Finding what she decided to be the take-off system chip, she wedged the blade behind it and it popped out into her left hand. Tucking it away in a pocket she turned to leave when she thought of taking the memory chip.

She could then find out where they had gotten the information, who exactly the bounty was from and so on and so forth. She quickly found the chip and wedged it free and heard it clink with the other chip in her deep pants pocket.

Liege followed her way in and found the small exit. She was extremely grateful when she dropped from it and pushed back the repair plate.

Slipping out as easily as she slipped in, Liege almost sprinted to her gate, seeing that they would be boarding at this point in time.

Liege was glad to see Jack had already boarded the transport and grinned to the transport officer who took ticket.

"Glad to be leaving, miss?" the friendly officer asked.

"Ye got no idea how glad 'm to be goin' home." She replied, thanking the officer for the ticket stub as she boarded the transport.

She barely had time to brace herself as she was face to face with Jack launching her entire body at her friend. She pulled back and grinned when Liege smirked.

"Did it?"

"Ye bet I did. 'n I gots a little present for da lovely lass who though' it up." Liege replied, depositing the two chips into Jack's hand.

"Oooooh Liege, you shouldn't have! Thank you so much!" Jack squealed, seeing what the other chip was.

"Ye sound like I just gave ye diamonds."

"Well, they've got just the same worth."


	9. Chapter IX

**Notes:**

Totally blown away by all these reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and here are the lists.

Jen, tamekabu (I will definitely check out your story. Thanks for telling me. Everyone else! Check it out! Please, that is.), FitMama, d, NightmareWeaver, CallMeAdmiral and how could I possibly leave out Scouse? It makes me very happy that you're so into the story. And yes, Khan will return at a later date. Promise.

**Chapter IX: Arrival of Jack**

Riddick walked into Imam's house and almost became the runway of his wife who was running through the rooms, cleaning and readjusting every single object she could find.

Smirking, Riddick ducked behind her and entered the kitchen where Imam was preparing food. Leaning against the counter, he took in the smells and sounds of what was going to be very good food.

"Preparing food for Jack is like preparing food for a pregnant woman. She eats anything and everything within range of sight, smell and sound!" The holy man was almost yelling by the end of his sentence and Riddick wasn't too sure about the knife being waved around in the air.

"Who's gonna pick the little kid up?" He asked, his arms folded across his chest. "Don't say me, holy man, you know I've got a bounty."

"Of course not you, Mr. Riddick. Jack will come home by herself. She knows the city quite well."

"It's going to be _dark_, holy man. I don't…you don't want her walking around at night in any city."

"Well, my wife and I will still be preparing for Jack and her friend when her transport lands, so unless you will go, Jack will arrive home by herself."

Riddick bristled. The holy man got him again. He did not want Jack wandering around in the city but he didn't want Jack to know he was here. Frowning, he thought of a way to keep her safe.

"I'll follow her."

"Excuse me, Mr. Riddick?"

"I said I'll follow her. That way I can keep an eye on her but she won't know I'm there."

"But she will know someone is there. And so will her friend. They trained together in school so do not doubt their abilities." Imam reprimanded, as if reminding a child of bad habits.

"I think I can take care of myself, holy man. When is her transport due?" He asked, seeing that the bright sun was already setting.

"Roughly…thirty minutes I'd guess." Imam judged by looking at the old clock that hung on the wall. He was about to continue talking about Jack's appetite when he noticed the other man was no longer there.

Leaping over the drops between buildings, Riddick sprinted towards the transport docks. 'Half and hour! How the fuck am I going to pull this off!' Riddick growled as the port came into view.

Stopping at the edge of the last building, he looked down at the wide street that separated the building from the port. He figured if he couldn't recognize Jack, he would just look for two young women with loud voices and bad language.

He became more and more tense as the minutes ticked by and growled when it passed the thirty minute mark. Why was the transport late? Was it held up by mercs? Technical difficulties? Did Jack or her friend do something stupid and get arrested?

Thoughts and questions plagued his mind as she watched the doors to the port open and close with anyone but his Jack and her friend.

He was rewarded when two young women exited the port, the smaller one endlessly chatting while the taller, and seemingly older, scanned the immediate area.

Jack had changed, and all for the better. Smooth chestnut colored hair was braided back and just curled up above the base of her spine. Her eyes, which he decided changed color periodically, glinted mischievously at the people milling about on the street. Riddick found he had difficulty watching her body move gracefully and swallowed once or twice before he could finally push himself to view it.

Every part moved together as one smooth movement after another was executed. 'Jacks thin waist does wonders for that chest and ass' Riddick noted as he glared at the tight pants and shirt Jack was presently wearing.

He took note of the taller girl who wore loose pants, a white wife-beater and steel-toed boots. A little more muscled then Jack, she almost stood guard of the younger and smaller woman. Red hair was pulled back and pinned up with only a few strands resting on her face.

Hoisting her heavy bag, she slipped on her sunglasses and glared at Jack as she took forever and a day to find hers, which were lost in the depths of her shoulder bag.

The pair crossed the street and Riddick almost leapt from the roof when he saw an car speeding down the busy road, but her friend caught her and held her back just in time. He smirked as he heard Jack curse and yell at the driver who was too far away to even begin to hear her.

The rest of the way home turned out to be uneventful, much to his relief and the moment he saw the front door close behind them, he slipped into the house from his open window.


	10. Chapter X

**Chapter X: Difference of Welcomes and Families**

Imam welcomed Jack with open arms as Liege stepped back into the shadows of the door. This was a strange family, but one nonetheless and she knew she did not have a place there.

Jack finally finished hugging Imam and turned to introduce her friend when she saw that Liege was off somewhere else, her eyes clouded with thought.

"And this statue here," Jack said, startling Liege as she grabbed her arm and dragged to her side, "would be Liege."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Liege." Imam offered his hand in greeting and Liege took it and shook his hand.

"As it is to meet ye as well."

Stepping back, Liege once again observed Jack in her joy of being home. She was happy and excited to be back with her family, whereas Liege felt relieved not to be even within the same system as hers.

"So, Jack, take your friend up to the rooms. I made her a loft in your room so you two can share. And Jack, where are all your possessions?" Imam asked, looking at Liege's bag but not seeing any of Jacks.

"Ye see, sir, this here Jack acquired a tad too many clothes 'n such trinkets when she was away at school. So, she 'ad them shipp'd here." Liege explained, seeing Jack's face turn red with blush.

"Well, I suppose you'll get your clothes later then. Go on now! And wash up for dinner!" Imam shooed the two girls up the stairs.

Riddick listened to the conversation going on downstairs then backed away from the door as he heard the two girls walk down the hallway. He figured he had to make his presence known to Jack somewhat soon, but he didn't know what to do about this other girl, Liege.

"Imam! This is delicious! I miss your homecooking so much! This is so much better then that shit-"

"Jack!"

"Oh, sorry. Then that horrible stuff they serve at school. Don't worry, Imam, Liege didn't get me into that habit. Although she does have a fiery temper herself…" Jack trailed off, glancing at her friend who had barely spoken a word over dinner.

"Liege, if you don't mind my asking, where are you from?" Imam supplied conversation, hoping to get Jack's friend to open up more.

From upstairs Riddick could hear and feel the tension when Liege was asked that question. His mind wandered back to the conversation he had with the merchant. Perhaps she was a criminal of sorts…then why would she be at school?

"Well, originally my family is Irish, and we're spread out now all over these systems, hence the accent." Liege replied, a quick grin visible between bites of food.

"I see, and your parents…or guardians, what do they do?" Imam asked, just out of curiosity. He missed Jack's intense glare from across the table and continued to serve himself some salad.

"Well…they run businesses…and we like to help other people who aren't as fortunate as us." Liege answered, feeling uncomfortable at Imam's questions.

"So! Imam! How was the religious retreat?" Jack cut in, saving her friend from embarrassment.

"Great! I started so many schools of religion, I felt that we really…" and from there the night continued, Imam telling Jack and Liege stories about other planets he had visited on religious retreats.

When Jack began to yawn, Imam ordered the two girls to bed, insisting that after a long journey and a full year school they needed proper rest. Liege sat cross-legged on the loft bed and watched as Jack washed up and readied herself for bed.

"Liege, why does it bother you when people ask about your family?" Jack questioned, splashing her face with water.

"Why should they know? I think if I want to keep me family private, then it be kept private. Thanks for that rescue, Jack." Liege said softly.

"Any time. We should probably get to sleep. Goodnight, Liege." Jack said as she slipped between the covers of her old bed.

Liege listened to her friend snuggle down for the night and between yawns bid her friend goodnight as well.

Riddick listened from the next room as the girls settled down and their breathing evened out. He wanted to talk to Jack and he wanted it now. He knew Liege was very alert at all times so he couldn't sneak in the window or simply pick Jack up and take her to his room.

Growling softly, he went towards the door to at least view Jack from the hallway. As he opened the door, he felt a cool night breeze drift down the hallway. Grateful for this, he cracked open the door and slipped in, not bothering to close it behind him.

Taking off his goggles, he saw that Liege was deeply asleep, but that could mean anything. Noiselessly padding to Jack's bed, his breath caught as he saw her spread out, her hair undone and pooling around her. She wore the same shirt she was wearing when he left her and it was wellworn by now and still fell off one shoulder, exposing her collarbone and neck.

He growled at the dormant feelings beginning to stir within him and matters weren't helped when he saw Jack's mouth slightly open and her tongue slip out and wet her lips.

Riddick moved to the edge of the bed and went to lean over Jack when he felt a blade tapping the back of his calf. He glanced down and saw the hand that belonged to none other then Jack.

Her bright eyes glinted at him as he rolled his and took the knife from her hand. Motioning for silence, he pulled Jack out of bed and began to lead her to the door.

Both breathed a sigh of relief when they successfully left the room. Riddick led her down the stairs and into the living room where he turned and closed the doors behind him as Jack looked for a comfy spot to sit.

When he turned around he was face to face with a smiling bunch of Jack. Before he could even greet her she leeched onto him in what would've been a bone-crunching hug for most people, but for Riddick it felt exactly like a leech.

Pulling back Jack headed back towards the couch she planned to occupy. He followed her to the couch but sat on the opposite end, knowing he would be filled with confusion if he sat too close to her.

"Hey, Jack."

"Riddick."

"…"

"Well, fuck me sideways, yer sure responsive." Jack commented, pulling the blanket closer around her. Riddick frowned, seeing how Jack was chilled by the night air.

"And you said Liege _didn't_ have a bad influence on you…" he replied, smirking as Jack's mouth hung open.

"You were here the ENTIRE time!" She raised her voice just slightly then suddenly glanced to the door, making sure there was no movement behind it.

"Yes, I was. And you're freezing." He noted, growling at the open archways that let in the night breeze. Helion Prime was more of a desert climate, blazing hot during the day and freezing at night.

"Yeah sure, whatever. So tell me more about where you went for the past _half_ _decade_." Jack demanded, pulling the blanket even tighter if was possible.

"First you get your scrawny ass over here." He ordered, feeling a sudden urge to keep Jack warm and protected.

Jack seemed confused at first, but not seeing any future danger or warning in Riddick's silver eyes, she scooted across the couch and sat next to him, but with a clear few inches still in between.

"Idiot," Riddick mumbled as he lifted his left leg and laid it across the couch and behind Jack's back and let his right dangle over the edge. Ignoring Jack's curious stare, he leaned over and easily wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her against his chest where she stiffened almost immediately.

Both cared to not notice how perfectly they fit against one another but soon Jack was relaxed by the body heat and rested her head on Riddick's shoulder.

"So, you want to know what Big Bad, Dark and Evil did while you went to school like a good little girl?" Riddick asked, smirking at Jacks huff of dignity at being called a good little girl.

"Yes. I would." She snapped back, snuggling deeper into Riddick's massive chest.

He talked through the night and he pretended not to notice how Jack held one of his hands and with both of hers and from time to time, subconsciously rub it. When she began to drift off to sleep, he lowered his voice to a volume where it put to her sleep almost instantly.

Riddick knew it would be best if he put her back in her own bed right then, but the other part of him decided he could risk it, besides. Her bed would be lonely and cold.


	11. Chapater XI

**Note: **Sorry for the short chapter! I just needed to do some strategic…maneuvering I suppose. Longer ones will return, I promise.

**Scouse:** It's totally great that you're a constant reviewer. Not to mention a very thorough one as well. Chibi Riddicks to you! Erm, and I'm glad my story is a source of…relief?

**TotallyriddickObsessed: **Wahoo! Glad you liked the ending to the last chapter, that makes me happy. And, as requested, more update!

**Chapter XI: That Certainly Doesn't Feel Like A Wall…**

Liege began to stir when the sun hit her face and blinked a few times before she tested out the rest of her muscles. She was surprised how well she slept, but she felt that something wasn't right.

Finding energy from unknown sources, she craned her neck over the side of her bed and felt her heart slow down into a normal pace when she saw Jack spread out over her bed. Her sheets were all over the place and she must've had been stretched out to every corner of the mattress.

Grinning, Liege quietly slipped out of her bed and made a quiet thump when she hit the ground, grateful for the thick rugs Imam had put down on the floor.

Stilling when she heard Jack mumble and toss herself over towards the window, she peeked over the side of Jack's bed to see that her roommate had fallen back to sleep.

Stepping back a few paces she crouched then jumping up, leapt onto Jack's bed and positioned herself over Jack, causing her to roll onto her back and sleepily open her eyes.

Leaning down to where she could feel Jack's breath she grinned when Jack finally got through her grogginess.

"Mornin' lass." She growled, making Jack scoot back and scream bloody murder.

Downstairs Riddick and Imam were discussing how to work around, or with, Liege. Riddick almost broke his cup when he heard Jack scream and went to the stairs, swearing he would break the bastards neck that snuck into her room like that.

But as soon as he got there he had to hide beneath the stairs, seeing as Liege came streaking down, followed by a very angry Jack.

"I'M GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Jack yelled as Liege almost lost footing as she grabbed the railing and skidded around it, heading for the kitchen.

"Catch me if ye can, ye little gnome!" Liege shouted back, grinning ear to ear as she reached the kitchen and finding nowhere to hide, took refuge behind Imam.

"LIEGE!" Jack stood at the kitchen's entrance, her hands fisted and her eyes glowing with wrath.

"Twas just a little joke, luv. Didn't mean no harm by it." Liege said, poking her head behind Imam's robes.

"Imam! Don't defend her!" Jack yelled, pointing at her mentor. Imam immediately moved away and backed out of the kitchen, deciding to be the referee of this little game.

"C'mon, Jackie lass, ye know I would never hurt ye intentionally." Liege argued, her eyes beginning to darken at the anticipation of a fight.

"All the same! I'm going to chase you down and tickle you to death!" Jack threatened, laughing as Liege's eyes opened wide.

"No ye don't! Not when I'm still kickin' and breathin'!" Liege yelled, seeing Jack move to one side of the island counter, she moved around and ran out of the kitchen, sliding on the floor and turning around.

Jack whipped around and laughed, but her eyes widened when she saw the two mercury orbs shining from the darkness beneath the stairs.

"LIEGE!" Jack shouted, seeing her friend unable to stop herself from sliding backwards. Jack ran to catch her and hold her back, but she was too late and Liege slipped back.

Silence held the room in its grip and Liege was confused as to why the wall felt like a well-muscled, warm, human body. Looking up into two silver eyes, she gulped and promptly fainted, sliding straight to the floor.

"Well, Mr. Riddick, that is one way to introduce yourself." Imam complimented his houseguest as he picked up Liege and set down on a nearby chair.


	12. Chapter XII

**Chapter XII: Introductions, Accusations and Explanations **

**(and some Jack/Riddick action! Yay! Extra note: sexual tension b/w Jack and Riddick would drive me absolutely mad. But, when I finish this one, I'll write another short one just centering around it. Just to spite.)**

"Riddick!" Jack hissed. "Why didn't you just move?"

"Hitting her head on the stairs would've been a nasty bump, maybe a concussion. 'sides, she had to know about me sometime, right?" He replied, smirking just a little, just enough to piss Jack off even more.

"Well…fine! I'm going to get some coffee." She glared as she stomped off to the kitchen. Riddick and Imam looked at Liege as she still sat slumped in the chair.

Imam walked over and knelt by the chair, gently slapping Liege's face. Her eyes fluttered and at first her eyesight was curtained by her fiery hair, but she moved it away and had to readjust her sight.

"You!" She pointed at Riddick. "Jack…you…mercs…" she trailed off, as if she had forgotten an entire detail altogether.

"What about mercs?" Riddick asked, suddenly intent on knowing what this Irish girl had to say.

"We were waitin in the transport docks, and we overheard mercs talkin' about this crazy payday on yer head. I told Jack who couldn't hear as well as I and she got all nervous-like. Lass really likes ye, sir." Liege commented, ignoring the quirk of Riddick's eyebrow as she said that.

"So while we waited for boardin', I went off 'n disabled the damn mercs ship, stole their takeoff 'n memory chips. Jack's got 'em I believe…wait…so yer Riddick?" Liege finally asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Jack's a very smart girl, you should be proud Mr. Riddick." Imam noted, moving off to the kitchen to get something to eat for Liege.

"Jack's got the chips?" Riddick asked, surprised at how unshocked this girl was to meet him.

"Didn't ye just hear that! I just said the lass 'as got the damn things! What be ye, DEAF!" Liege yelled, her temper getting the better of her.

"Liege, don't yell at him. He's getting forgetful in his old age." Jack said casually from the doorway, walking forward to hand her friend a cup of coffee.

Grinning at Riddick's glare on the attack of his age, she stood next to Liege.

"Wasn't it a brilliant idea? I've got the chips upstairs. They'll be waylaid for WEEKS!" Jack exclaimed, takng a sip of her drink.

"It was dangerous, Jack. Planned way to quickly, too roughly and there was a complete lack of knowledge behind it. Did you even _consider_ the consequences if she got caught?" Riddick questioned in a very cold, inhuman voice.

He felt something tear inside him when he saw that incredibly hurt and tortured look on Jack's face. What he didn't see was Liege standing up, a definite fury in her eyes.

"Ye leave that lass be! She's done nothing but help ye! And I can take of meself! I purposely left Jack behind cause I didn't want her to get hurt! I'll take blame for it, but don't ye **dare** go after 'er. A bloody bastard like yeself can't even accept help. Ye don't deserve Jack, tha' much is clear. C'mon, lass, lets get ye cleaned up." Liege snarled at Riddick, but her voice softened as she helped Jack up, putting an arm protectively around her shoulders.

Riddick didn't miss the tears that Jack tried to hide and he knew he had royally screwed up. Especially forgetting how quick to anger the Irish were.

Jack sat sniffling on her bed while Liege took a wet cloth and dabbed her face, speaking soothing words in a language Jack didn't understand.

The bright afternoon light filtered in through the linen white curtains and left stretches of light striping the room. Jack sat in one of these light stretches while Liege, preferring the shade, continued to clean up Jack. After the sniffles stopped, Jack pulled her legs beneath her and sighed.

"Liege, you shouldn't of snapped like that…" Jack started, swallowing the last of her dying sobs.

"'e had it comin' to 'im. 'sides, can't push down me heritage can I?" Liege replied, a small grin cracking her face.

Jack laughed quietly and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear before she continued. "He is so complex…making it impossible to predict him. Sure, it wasn't the best of ideas, but we pulled it off, so what's the problem? He didn't need to freak out like that."

"Aye, but he did." Liege put a hand up to stop Jack from interrupting. "'e wasn't knocking the plan, Jack. The reason 'e criticized it was because he cared for ye safety. Sure enough, I was the one doin' the dangerous part, but if something had gone wrong, ye coudld've been hurt. 'n I'm thinkin' thas the last thing he wants happen'in to 'is Jack."

"His Jack? When did I become his?" Jack asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Don't be silly now. Ye be wearin' a ring that says _Possession of R.B.R._, 'n not only that but ye've always belong'd to 'im. He claimed ye long ago, tha' I can tell by just watchin' him." Liege said knowingly.

"Woah, wait a sec. A) You've only seen him in person for at MAXIMUM ten minutes. B), how do you know he claimed me? Did he bite me in my sleep or something!" Jack exclaimed, scowling at Liege's grin at the bite comment.

"That be true, Jack, but when ye talked about 'im that night after the marketplace, what ye told me confirmed that ye belong to 'im. Furthermore, I don't think he bit ye in yer sleep. Unless tis somewhere I can't see." Liege joked, waggling her eyebrows.

Jacks eye went wide with realization and grabbed a pillow from behind her and smacked Liege on the side of the head. This caused Liege to laugh even harder as Jack shoved her off the bed. Soon Jack was smiling too and she grinned as she leaned over the side of the bed to see Liege rolling on the floor hysterically laughing.

Riddick jerked his head up when he heart this noise but soon relaxed, knowing it signaled that Jack was better. Her laugh made him calm and content and it reminded him of wind flowing through the wind chimes that the merchants hung in their stalls.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he turned and began to walk up the stairs, determined to talk to Jack. He knew he had messed up and he detested himself for making her cry. With these firm resolves he stood to knock on her door when it opened suddenly and a giggling Jack raced out and upon seeing Riddick, hid behind him.

She subconsciously grabbed the sides of his shirts and pulled herself closer to him, forcing Riddick to swallow deeply, not wanting to just toss her over his shoulder and have his wicked way with her.

He was met with an oncoming charge of wrathful Irish woman, who was shouting obscenities that even he winced at. She glanced around, not seeing Jack behind Riddick. She was about to stalk off in direction of the stairs when she looked down and saw two pairs of feet where Riddick stood.

"Ooooh, Jackie, me lass. Where be ye?" Liege crooned, sounding like a pirate from the old earth vids they watched. Jack couldn't suppress a giggle as her friend's imitation and Liege quickly turned and pulled Jack out from behind Riddick.

"Nooooo, you pirate!" Jack screeched, holding onto Riddick's arm as he stood watching with amusement. "Riddick! Don't just stand there! Aren't you going to save me from this vicious pirate!"

Laughing, Liege grabbed onto Jack's waist, trying to drag her away. But when Riddick saw the pleading in Jack's eyes he quickly twisted his arm back and grabbed Jack arm and with a sharp tug, pulled her from Liege's grip.

Jack was unprepared for this and she blushed when she realized that she had fallen right against Riddick and her arms and wrapped themselves around her neck. Hiding her face in his chest, she still heard Liege's loud laughter.

"This pirate be havin' better ships to pillage." She said, chuckling as she went down the stairs.

The two stood there for a few seconds before Riddick scooped her up in his arms and headed to his room. Toeing open the door, he gracefully tossed her to his bed, where she landed with an 'oomph'.

"Better ships to pillage, eh? Sounds a little…risqué if you ask me." Riddick commented, enjoying the way Jack instantly blushed at the comment.

"Riddick, you horny bastard, what am I going to do with you?" Jack laughed as he sat down on the bed, causing it to tilt in his direction.

He leaned over and propped himself up on his knees, his back bent away from Jack. He didn't turn his head when he heard Jack's laughter fade away, but was grateful when he felt her moved towards him and rest herself on his back.

Feeling her sigh, he glanced at her and saw that she looked completely content.

"You were right, you know. About the plan." She whispered, nuzzling his back. She didn't miss him instantly stiffen and relax at the gesture.

"Since it was successful, it was a decent plan. Just…not planned properly. Jack, if anything-" he was cut off by her shush and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to him.

"I know, Riddick. I know." She replied quietly, ending the conversation. Her eyes widened slightly as he completely turned his upper body and wrapping one arm around her waist, pulled her onto his lap.

His head still bent, she rested her cheek against his clean-shaven scalp and gently smoothed a side of his face with her thumb. Riddick growled at this but pulled her closer and breathed in her scent, deep and clear.

They stayed like this for what could've been minutes or hours, but neither cared. Jack moved her hands to his neck and rested them there, enjoying the feel of his pulse against her hands.

"I missed you." She said so quietly he wasn't even sure she said it.

Riddick looked up at her and she pulled back and swore that in the dim light of the room, his eyes sparkled like finely cut diamonds. He brought his hand up to her cheek where she rubbed into it, making small mewling noises that caused him to growl.

Holding his hand there, Jack tried to separate and understand the emotions that quickly switched in Riddick's eyes, but she couldn't because the silver masked them. It flowed, twisted and swirled like mercury, making it nearly impossible.

"I missed you too, Jack." He said clearly, pulling her back to him. Jack wanted to cry with joy, but instead she just lightly kissed his head.

She felt one of his surprisingly smooth hands envelope one of hers and smiled softly as she felt him drag his lips across her palm, stopping to nibble the joint of her thumb. Closing her eyes, she didn't resist as she was pulled down the bed and turned to have her back facing him. Jack welcomed the warmth she felt as she was pulled against him and she took his hand from her waist and pulled it up so it would rest between both of her hands.

She fell asleep to his comforting heartbeat and for once, slipped into a deep rest with a smile on her face. Riddick's emotions still raced through him, but he knew as he watched Jack's body rise and fall with even breath that he had found his purpose. Feeling a surge of protectiveness, he tensed his arm and pulled her upper body even closer. Smirking as he felt her snuggle, he lay awake and kept his eyes trained on her face.


	13. Chapter XIII

**Notes: Thanks to Milsa (glad you like it), NightmareWeaver (keep reading, I'm happy you like to too), tamekabu (thanks for keep reading my story!), CallMeAdmiral (whee, as you can see I'm a fan of J/R, but it makes me very happy that if you don't usually like it and you like this one. Very happy.) and FitMama – mwahaha, ye get yer own note – thanks for the advice, there is a point in the near future where there is an ahem tense J/R moment, but in about four(ish) chapters, we have the joy of Riddick being confused. Yes, soft Riddick is like…um…well-worn leather, well, if you can think of something yer welcome to share it. **

**Chapter XIII: Jack 'n Liege at School**

Liege had gone downstairs to look for food, knowing that Jack and Riddick would be preoccupied for quite some time. As she pawed through the cooler, memories of Jack ran rampant through her mind.

_Liege and Jack walked down the hallway, discussing what they had learned in history class when a loud explosion was heard behind them. _

_They both pulled each other to the side, with the protection of the lockers that lined the hallways. Liege was at first very confused, because she couldn't tell if it was an attack or just a practical joke. _

_She briefly looked at Jack, hoping she wouldn't see any damage from sudden movement. Liege narrowed her eyes when she saw Jack covering a smile on her face. _

_Liege stood, pulling Jack up with her and not caring at Jack's exclamations, she dragged her into an empty classroom and shut the door behind her. _

_She turned to see Jack still laughing and Liege crossed her arms over her chest, giving an unforgiving stern glare. _

_"Jack. What did ye do?"_

_"Decided to mess things up a little bit. With all this 'hierarchy' it gets boring! Besides, no one was hurt!" She insisted, a smile still gracing her features. _

_"All the same…" Liege trailed off, knowing it would be useless. Soon she too was laughing, amused by Jack's antics. She followed Jack out of the classroom, sighing in content. _

_'And to think…this is Jack's first month at school.' Liege wondered to herself as she hoisted her bag over her head to rest on her shoulder. _

Liege grinned at the memory as she closed the door to the cooler shut with a push of her hip. Carrying the various foodstuffs to the counter, she piled them there, hoping they would fall into some sort of organized chaos.

Righting a few items that had fallen on their side, she turned to look for a kitchen knife. After looking through drawers, cabinets and closets, she smacked herself when she saw it was directly in front of her.

Pulling out a knife, she put it back, seeing that the edges were seraded and she needed that to slice the bread. She went through this process several times before she found the one she wanted.

Holding it she moved to cut the bread and she was momentarily blinded by reflection of the light off the blade.

_She, Jack, Rick and Falc sat in a classroom, listening to their teacher drone on and on about a mathematic theory that supposedly solved the problem of a great epidemic before it struck worldwide. _

_Falc, always the good student, sat taking notes next to Jack, who was having trouble not falling asleep. Liege, on the other hand, did have notes, but they were being pillaged by doodles and notes that she and Rick wrote back and forth to one another. _

_Liege stared at the board for a moment, trying to look interested as their teacher had their back turned, intent on writing the entire lecture on the board. She glanced down when she heard Rick's pen stop scratching on her page. Surpressing a snort, she moved her foot out in front of Rick's leg. He smirked as he watched the bad handwriting scrawl the board in front of them but his face suddenly twisted in pain when Liege swiftly kicked her steel-plated boot into his shin. _

_Jack woke instantly at the quiet commotion next to her and shook her herself awake, scolding herself for falling asleep. Sighing, she leaned over to continue copying down the lecture. _

_She glanced over at Liege and Rick's antics but ignored it, knowing it could get noisy if she got involved as well. Feeling a tap to her right, she looked at Falc who motioned with his pen towards her notebook. _

_Seeing a neatly folded note resting on the page, she smiled at Falc who went back to taking notes. Looking once more at Liege, who was grinning like a madman, she bent her head down and began to open the note. _

_"Ms. Jack, please tell me what you're doing." The monotone voice broke her small world. _

_"Sorry, sir, I was trying to fix my pen." She replied instantly, thanking whatever god was watching over her for such a quick reply._

_"If it isn't working, borrow one. In this world where math could save an entire planet's life…well, we don't time to fix pens." He continued, ignoring the snickers in the class. _

_"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."_

_"Quite alright. Now…where was I?" And he went back to his lecture. _

_Jack slipped the note in her bra strap where should would read it later and went back to taking notes. Liege on the other hand, was pissed at the treatment of her roommate. _

_Leaning down, the older girl unsheathed one of her blades from her boot-leg. Rick had gone back to being bored, rubbing his shin once in a while, but was immediately interested when he saw Liege holding one of her knives. _

_Looking up, Liege found the best sun-light source that was closest to her and silently moved her desk closer to that patch of light. _

_Rick moved over as well, but not noiselessly, so once again the teacher turned around and scolded him. He got out of it by saying he couldn't see the board due to the reflection of the sun. Nodding at the excuse, the teacher went back to writing on the board. _

_By this time, Liege had perfected her little trick and setting her blade at an angle, flashed it right where the teacher was writing. With this sudden interupption, his hand streaked down, causing a jagged line to be drawn. The class stifled giggles as he growled to himself and went to erase it. _

_Liege did this a few more times and by the end of class all the students were trying their best not to burst out in uncontrollable laughter. _

Laughing to herself at the memory, Liege put the rest of the loaf back into its bag and moved it away from the rest of her little project.

She briefly remembered tackling Jack in the hallway to see the note Falc had written to her, but it ended up being a sweet note reassuring Jack that class was over soon.

Placing the ingredients onto her sandwich, she was upset to find that it was a tad too large and there was no way she could bite into it and still have her jaw intact. Growling, she took out a few 'unneccesary' elements to her sandwich and was pleased to find that it now just fit.

She left it on the cutting board and cleared and cleaned everything up and away before she lifted herself onto the counter and took up her sandwich. As she was biting into it, she thought to watch the news would be a good way to pass the lonely time.

"Vid screen on. News." She barely said, her words garbled in between her bites of sandwich.

She found herself strangely content when the most recent news update passed and there were no updates on Riddick. Not caring about the weather, she commanded the screen off, leaving her to her thoughts.

Liege was happy seeing Jack able to love someone and it didn't bother her in the least that it was Riddick. Not only that but if Jack was unable to take care of herself, she knew Riddick could. But was it love? Or just schoolgirl crush and adoration?

She tried to sort out the answers to these questions and each time came up with the fact that Jack did care deeply and truly for this mysterious man. Happy at that conclusion, Liege decided she would do everything in her power to keep them together.


	14. Chapter XIV

**Chapter XIV: The Capture and Pillage of Jack**

Note: If you review, please tell me if you got the undertones of the chapter title. I mean, hey, I would like to captured and pillaged by Riddick. Well damn, that just gave it away, huh?

Sorry about the shortness.

Onto the story!

Riddick's senses were on full alert when he felt Jack stir and he watched her facial expression for any fear or disgust when she realized where she was. To his surprise, he only found a gentle, loving look filled with affection.

"Hey." Her sleepy voice managed, as she turned to face him and snuggled closer to him.

"Good to see you're finally awake." He replied, his hand now free to play with her hair. So as not to hurt Jack, he carefully carded his hands through her long hair, unbraiding the dark chocolate curtain of silk.

He swallowed hard at Jack's subconscious moan as she felt him toying with her hair. When it was all finally free, Riddick wrapped it around his hand, anchoring Jack to him.

Jack lifted her head and nuzzled his neck, feeling comforted by the deep growl that erupted from Riddick at the gesture.

"Riddick?" She asked, seeing how small her hand was in comparison to the chest it rested on.

"What is it, Jack?" He looked down at her, unable to mask the concern in his eyes or voice.

"Are you going to stay this time?" She asked, her voice becoming small and quiet. When he didn't immediately reply, she closed her eyes tightly, trying to block the tears.

Not missing this, he sat up and brought her up with him, pulling her arms down so she wouldn't hide her fact. But she still ducked her head, causing stray strands of hair to fall in front of face.

Sitting back, he felt immediately guilty for what he had done. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen, and every time he tried to classify his feelings for Jack he got a severe headache. Holding in a sigh, he moved forward and reached to take one of Jack's hands when she slapped it away. Snapping her head up, the tears came from eyes filled with fury.

"Was this whole act just something to let me down easy!" She yelled, backing towards the edge of the bed. "You left me once, so you figured you could do it again, right? Isn't that right? So this is how it's going to be? You check in on me every five years or so!" She was hysterical by the end and her body jerked with sobs as she fell to the floor.

Completely taken by surprise, Riddick didn't have time to pull Jack back before she fell and when she hit the floor she began to cry even harder. Moving off the bed, he stood looking down at Jack who had begun to whimper.

Growling he roughly lifted her and tossed her onto the bed, instantly climbing over her and staring her down. He wasn't going to handle this sort of emotion. Especially not from Jack.

"Jack." He commanded, hearing her sobs subside almost immediately at his order. Small whimpers were emitted from her throat as she wiped away the tears from her face.

Looking to the side, she was met with Riddick's wrist and she found that his hands were pinned to either side of her head, preventing escape.

"Look at me." This time he almost seemed to ask and she breathed deeply before she could find the nerve to look him straight in the eye.

When she did she wasn't surprised to find a hard coldness there, waiting to command Jack to calm down because if she didn't, he might never come back.

"Jack, listen to me. I left because you needed all this. You needed to become part of a community, have friends, be able to live life. I was going to leave when I made sure you were alright…but I've found my reason to stay Jack." He ended, hoping he would be accepted.

Jack looked away through the window that was background to Riddick's beautifully sculpted and tanned hand. When she spoke, she tried to sound deadened and sad, but her hope shimmered beneath the surface.

"What's that reason?"

"You." Was all he said as Jack faced him again, this time completely taken by surprise. Before she could even respond, she felt complete bliss as his lips covered her own.

Gently tasting her, Riddick nibbled on her lower lip, relieved that she hadn't pulled away, but instead was eagerly responding.

Jack's competitive nature shined when she battled Riddick's tongue in dominance of the passionate kiss. Knowing Riddick was more talented and experienced, she willingly gave in.

His hands slid down her body and began to slowly lift her shirt, exposing her well-toned stomach. Growling at the sight, he abandoned Jack's lips to explore his new territory.

Whining, Jack tweaked his ear, making his head snap up and Jack began to laugh, finding Riddick looking so annoyed. Giving up on mapping out his Jack for later, he returned to her mouth, which she believed needed much attention.


	15. Chapter XV

**Thanks to: tamekabu, NightmareWeaver, traptrogue6 and TotallyRiddickObsessed**

**Chapter XV: A Little Bit of Liege **

After cleaning up from her much-needed food, Liege quietly climbed the stairs, not wanting to disturb Jack and Riddick. Slipping into the room, she tried not to snicker at the sounds she heard through the wall as she pulled on a clean wife-beater and blue baggy jeans.

Tightening the oversized jeans with a black leather belt, Liege checked for her knives and was pleased to find them in their correct spots. She always carried one in the waistband of her pants, but when she tugged on her boots, she was armed with four more.

Feeling secure, she stepped out into the hallway and walked towards the study, hoping to find something to occupy her time. Happy to see a small library, she looked at the titles, begging to find something good to read.

"'Beasts of the Helion System'…no, not so much. Let's see…'American History', ech, had enough of that in school. How about over on this shelf…" Liege talked to herself, making the whole searching experience more enjoyable.

"Ahha! 'Legends of Lost Planets'. This sounds good." She commented, pulling the thick book from the shelf. Carrying it with her to the couch, she set it on the table, making herself comfortable.

Picking up the heavy read, she opened the cover and sneezed when a cloud of dust rose. Blowing it away, she winced as she heard the page crack with age as she turned it. Finding the table of contents she ran her finger down it, looking for something interesting.

Suddenly, she stopped and inspected the print closer, as if she had misread it. Rubbing her eyes, she blew away more dust to read the rest of indexed title.

"'The Warriors of Furya'. Talk about coincidence. I should show this to Jack later." Liege mumbled, finding the page number and carefully looking through the pages.

Finding her destination, she opened the book a little wider and began to read. She became so engrossed by the story that she didn't hear Imam walk into the study hours later.

"Liege, my child, what have you found?" He asked, ignoring the look of surprise on Liege's face at being referred to as his child.

"Uh…something on Furya. It's from a book filled with Legends, but if it scientifically came up as an existing planet, then it shouldn't be a legend." Liege replied, looking back at the book in confusion.

"Some are legends, some are truth. Depends who you are asking. What do you think?"

"Well, I know it's more than coincidence tha' Jack pick'd up tha' ring, tha' it belonged to Riddick _and_ tha' he n' Jack had met previously. And this book? If Riddick is like tha' by nature an' the descriptions here of Furyan people be true, then this planet had to have existed!"

"Who says it still does not exist today?" Imam questioned her, enjoying this intellectual conversation with Jacks friend. At least now he knew she had smart friends.

"No one…I suppose. Do you think he knows anything abou' 'is past?" Liege asked, closing the book and setting it on the table.

"Perhaps, but I will not be the one to ask him. Do you know where he is? Or Jack?" He was confused when Liege's eyebrow twitched.

"Well, that be a good question, sir. Las' time I check'd, they be talkin' in Riddick's room. Excuse me, sir." Liege nodded as she swiftly exited the room.

Liege quickly walked down the hall and rapped her knuckles against Riddick's door a few times before she turned and descended the stairs.

Hearing movement in Riddick's room, she sighed a breath of relief. She felt that Imam couldn't know just yet. They should wait until the bond was stronger and they were sure of their feelings.

Breathing deeply, Liege looked out towards the darkening sky. Walking to a balcony that overlooked the city, she moved the thin peach coloured linen curtain away and let it drop behind her as she moved towards the edge.

Fisting her hands, she propped them on the thick stone railing of the balcony, her paler skin contrasting with the dark orange stone. Blinking slowly, she surveyed the beautiful city.

Looking down into the courtyard of Imam's house, she saw how the smooth white marble pathways turned a light blue in the evening atmosphere. The water that sprinkled from the fountain that was the center of the courtyard was lifted with the breeze and cooled the entire garden. Grateful for the high wall that surrounded the house, Liege tried not to remember how deceptively beautiful her home city was.

It was not a desert climate, like Helion, but a temperate climate, like the ones in old Europe of old earth. A city surrounded by dark forests and open country hills, Liege had loved it when she was a younger girl.

Her father had a manor that he inherited from his father and he brought Liege and her mother every weekend. She had learned to ride horses, an animal that was very rare in this time and age. Her father had loved both her and her mother dearly and would give anything he could to make them happy.

But her family had a legacy. An undeniable legacy that Liege's mother wanted no part in. She found out when she was pregnant with Liege and wanted to flee the system. Her father had saved her by making it clear it was useless, she was married into the family and could only escape by death.

This legacy had led to the death of her mother and in order to protect his daughter, her father had sent her to boarding school in Helion Prime, knowing it was far enough for a child to flee too.

Growling, Liege rammed her fist into the stone balcony, furious at what her family legacy had done to her father and mother. And what it had led her to. To stay safe, she had to make a pact that forced her to serve them still. But if she did this, and kept it secret, they would not bother her.

Liege never forgot the kindness of Khan, nor did she ever impose on him to protect her. Her thoughts faded when she was brought back to reality by the pain in her hand.

'Great, good job, Liege, how the fuck are you going to explain this one?' She thought to herself, realizing it had already become completely dark outside.

When she and Jack were in school together, Liege had a few moments where her anger got the better of her and she when her temper snapped, it was certain violence would break out. Jack was well aware of these incidents and just fixed Liege up, never asking what had caused her to do it.

Hoping Jack wasn't off with Riddick, she moved out from the balcony and went in search of her friend. Grateful to find her alone in their room, she closed the door behind her, startling Jack.

"Hey, Liege, where have you…" Jack trailed off at the sight of her friends bloody hand. "Christ, Liege, I thought this stopped."

"As long as 'm alive and I've got a temper, this won't ever stop." She replied, her attempt at a grin turning into a grimace of pain.

"C'mon, let's clean you up."

Jack led Liege into the bathroom where she washed off her hand with warm water. Heavily dousing a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol, Liege braced herself for the certain pain.

Clenching her jaw, Liege was glad when Jack threw away the cotton ball. Holding out her hand, Liege watched Jack wrap it with skill. She knew how to wrap it to keep it from getting infected, but wrap it so she could still have full movement.

"Thanks, Jack. I owe ye one."

"No, you don't. Trust me. Your explanation earlier today helped. A lot." Jack said, blushing as she reorganized the first-aid kit.

"Tis very sweet, ye n Riddick. So, when's the weddin'?" Liege joked, standing up and moving out the bathroom.

"LIEGE!" Jack shrieked, throwing a roll of bandages at her friend's head who easily ducked. Both girls ended up lying on Jack's bed, completely worn out.

"Hey, Liege?" Jack asked, tilting her head towards her friend, whose own head wasn't far away.

"Aye?"

"What are you going to do after school?"

Liege was silenced after this question. She knew exactly what she had to do, but hopefully a chance would present itself so she could have the option of escaping that future.

"'m not sure yet, Jack. 'm just goin' to see what's given to me…" Liege replied quietly. "Ye and Riddick will be happy together, thas for sure."

"You think?"

"I know, Jackie lass, I know." Liege replied, catching the reflection off of the silver ring Jack wore around her neck. Riddicks ring.


	16. Chapter XVI

**Chapter XVI: The Lame Movie Action Made Up For…(by none other than Riddick. Of course.)**

The evening passed without excitement, but both Imam and Liege noticed the touches that were a second too long between Jack and Riddick. Imam smiled knowingly to himself, of course Jack would end up with Riddick, there was not another man in the universe who could ever understand Jack. Liege sometimes raised an eyebrow, but she never commented, glad to see that Jack finally had someone.

"Jack, can we go out tomorrow to look 'round the city? Only been 'ere once or twice 'n I never got to explore it." Liege asked after dinner, when Imam had gone up to his study to work and Riddick went out. The two girls were going to watch some vids, and they were setting up food, blankets and pillows, knowing they would fall asleep in front of the screen.

"Sure we can! Looking for anything in particular?"

"Well, since ye are 18, I figure…eh…I could scout out a few tat parlors. If thas alright with ye. I need some work done on meself, ye know."

"Tat parlors?"

Liege rolled her eyes and turned around and lifted her shirt, where Jack saw a tattoo of three words.

"Oooh. I get it. Sure…by the way, does that mean?"

"The tat? It's Latin." Liege replied, snuggling into the couch.

"And it is…" Jack trailed off, setting up the vid discs in the player.

"'**odi et amo'**." Liege said with a good accent.

"Which means!" Jack turned around, frustrated with Liege as she plopped down next to her, reaching for the bowl of popcorn that Liege had made.

"Hate and Love."

"Oh. I see…well, ready to start?" Jack asked, changing the subject.

"Ye bet. Vid on! Disc one!" Liege commanded the system, making Jack laugh.

"It isn't an army or something." She muttered, holding the bowl tightly to her as Liege tried to pry it away from her.

They had purposely tried to pick scary movies, but neither of them became even close to scared. Most of the time they were laughing at the fake expressions on the faces of the actors. Liege lost count of how many vid discs they had gone through when she realized Jack had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

"Oy, Jack," she said, whispering so as not to wake her friend. "What am I goin' to do with ye? Tis is a shame that Riddick isn't here to carry ye up. 'm strong, but not **_tha' _**strong."

"You called?" Liege almost jumped out of her skin when the familiar deep voice smoothed out of the dark shadows.

"Aye, that I did. Will ye take care of this lass or will I 'ave to wake 'er up?" Liege asked, tilting her head back to see Riddick's eyes staring down at hers, flitting to Jack's resting form between words.

Deciding not to grace her with an answer, Riddick slipped his arms between Jack and the couch and somehow managed to pick her up and keep the blanket on her. Liege smiled slightly when she saw how Jack instantly tightened herself against Riddick, sensing in her sleep it was him.

Liege watched as the silent form moved up the stairs, the only thing making noise was the blanket as it trailed beneath his feet. Impressed that he didn't trip on it, she turned around and quietly ordered the screen off.

Pulling another blanket over her, she quickly fell asleep on the couch, glad to know that Jack was safe.

Jack emitted a sad whimper when she felt the sun hit her face and suddenly felt herself being repositioned and she was in shadow again. Confused, Jack looked up and saw Riddick's face looking down at hers.

His body blocked the sun as he laid on his side and his left arm propped up his head. His right arm was moving with his hand as he gently played with Jack's hair.

"Morning, Jack." He greeted her quietly, only to be responded to by a sudden snuggle into his chest. Threading his fingers up her neck and into the base of her hair, he gently rubbed her scalp, not surprised when he felt and heard the appreciative groan into his chest.

"Grrmpf, Ridgrrf." Was the verbal reply as she breathed in his scent and suddenly felt the need for him to claim her. Looking up, she was glad to see that he had taken off his goggles and she lifted her hand and rested it on his cheek, taking in the smoothness. As he gently pushed into her hand, she smiled and sat up, removing her hand and putting it on the other side of his body, holding herself up.

He twisted to lay on his back and was surprised at how flexible Jack was, the way she kept her lower half completely at rest while the upper was twisted and turned. She looked down at him and smiled, just glad to be around him.

Riddick readied himself for another long kiss but was let down by a quick peck. Opening his eyes, he saw the usual grin grace Jack's features.

"I'm going out with Liege, today, so I can't stay around in bed all day. As much as I would like to." She explained, moving back as Riddick sat up. She moved her arm and rested it on his chest as he got comfortable.

"Alone?"

"I said, 'with Liege.'" Jack replied, blushing as Riddick pulled her up onto his lap and grabbing behind her knee, tugged the leg over his body, forcing Jack to straddle him.

"But that's without me." He wasn't in the mood to argue, feeling Jack's body over his.

"Yes, I realize that. We'll be fine, I promise. You know I can take care of myself and Liege will bite anyone's head off if they even get near me. And we _are _going out, regardless of the fact that you can't accompany us, due to the large bounty on your head." Jack argued, poking her finger directly into his chest.

Riddick growled, causing Jack to startle and pull away. He immediately grabbed her waist and pulled her as close as possible to himself. Resting his head on her chest, he closed his eyes and listen to her heartbeat, memorizing each individual thump.

Jack swallowed, not sure what to do, but ended up circling his neck with her arms. She knew that her absence would completely unnerve him, but she was _not_ going to be locked up. No matter what Riddick said.

"Jack. Be home two hours before sunset. Not a minute later." He ordered, pulling back and holding her wrists, his large hands easily wrapping around them.

"Yes, sir." She mock replied, leaning in to kiss him once more before she left.

'Bad idea, Jack, really bad idea,' she thought to herself as she exited his room twenty minutes later, feeling like her entire body was flushed with heat.


	17. Chapter XVII

**Thanks to:**

**blondevor – I'm part Irish. Really I am. **

**NightmareWeaver – Thanks for the continuing reviews!**

**Tweety – glad you like it!**

**Chapter XVII: Showers and Bites**

Jack shivered as the water hit her body and reached for soap and a cloth to scrub herself down. She had pinned her hair up, not wanting to wash the huge mane right now, considering it would take hours to dry and she didn't want to have it drying outside. Swallowing, she blushed as she remembered what those heavenly twenty minutes had consisted of. Jack then put the idea of a shower and those twenty minutes together and she almost moaned from the idea.

Every time she closed her eyes she imagined flashes of such a scene, each one more heated with passion then the next.

_She shuddered as she felt two hands, slick with water, slide around from behind and span her stomach, then moving down to massage her hips. _

Snapping her eyes open, she mentally scolded herself. If she kept doing this, she would never get out of the damn shower! But as she leaned her head back to wash her face in the spray, her eyes closed again.

_The same hands were spread to two opposite ends of her body. Sucking and biting various fingers from one hand, Jack couldn't help but moan as she felt the other dip between her legs. _

"Oy! Jack! Ye've been in the damn shower for at least fifteen minutes! It's going to tomorrow by the time we get out, ye dumb lass!" Liege shouted, rapping her knuckles on the steamed glass shower door.

Jack jumped at the interupption, but was instantly grateful for it. Quickly shutting off the water, she reached outside for a towel, happy when she felt the fluffy cloth beneath her hand.

Pulling it closed around her, she looked down as she stepped out of the shower, not really looking anywhere else on her body.

When she looked up, she was confused by Liege's stare. Sure, the towel was short but it wasn't _that_ short. They had been together in school long enough for neither to be bothered by it. 'Well, there was that one time after paintball, but I totally wasn't expecting her to just…be there. Half naked. And shit.' Jack thought, still puzzled at Liege's stare.

Heaving an annoyed sigh, Jack shoved Liege to look in the mirror, because maybe then it would make more sense. Holding her towel around her, she stepped in front of the mirror. Only to scream bloody murder.

At this point, wherever Riddick may have been, he quickly moved into the shadows, not wanting to be Jack's warpath. Slipping into the shadows of the house, he waited for the girls to come downstairs.

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, he heard Jack stomping down the steps, cursing in all the different languages she must've learned at school. Liege walked behind her, laughing while she double-checked her knives.

Riddick couldn't resist at grinning when he saw Jack walk into view wearing a particularly wide choker, covering whatever may have been left underneath. He growled at the rest of her outfit, a strapless shirt covered by a vest, which was bottomed by a pair of tight black jeans. Too tight in his opinion.

Jack and Liege waited for Imam, who was returning from his morning religious classes in ten minutes. Liege leaned against the entry hall wall, testing the sharpness of her favourite blade while Jack ranted.

"Sure I'm glad he physically 'claimed' me, but now I have to wear this until it fades!" Jack exclaimed, tugging at the choker.

"And yer quite sure ye didn't feel it while he did it?" Liege asked, not even looking up from her knife.

"Well…you know…" Jack trailed off, making vague hand gestures, as if Liege could translate that into real English, which, luckily for Riddick, she could.

"Being with him makes you passionately insane, so you can't even fathom time or reason, especially when he touches you. Yes, I'm well aware of your…emotional highs while you are….intensifying your physical relationship with him." Liege said in a perfectly unaccented voice, sounding eerily like Jack.

"Way to go to break it down into science." Jack muttered, rubbing her hand across her neck, where it soon traveled to the ring. Rubbing it, Jack let her head smack against the wall, feeling completely at loss. "I really like him, Liege."

"I know, Jack. I can see it in yer eyes. Ye really are head over heels for this lad. Good for ye, he can take care of ye just as easily as he takes care of 'imself. Bein' with ye is like second nature to 'im, I bet." Liege replied, slipping into her accent again.

"But do you think he feels the same?" Jack asked, cut off by the sudden entrance of Imam.

"My children! Why do you waste time inside? Look how beautiful it is today!" He exclaimed, opening his arms wide, making the long sleeves of his robes hang. Jack giggled and Liege smirked, both thinking he looked like an orange, red-striped bat.

"Well, Imam, we are going out, but we needed your permission first." Jack sweetly said, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Well, no need to ask, just don't be home late." Imam cautioned, stepping aside as the two girls passed, Liege ducking her head out of respect and habit.

Imam closed the door behind the pair of girls and their laughter could be heard drifting in through the courtyard. Sighing, he turned around and stopped in the entry way.

"Now, Mr. Riddick, what reason is there to hide?" Imam scolded, as if talking to a child. Not waiting for him to appear, Imam walked up the stairs and went to his study.

Soon after that he did remove himself from the shadows and went to the balcony, pulling his goggles on, seeing as it was almost midday. Growling deep within, Riddick wasn't surprised when he felt the need to protect Jack, as he saw her walk to the corner, still laughing with Liege.

Comfortably positioning himself on the wide balcony, he rubbed his shaved head, wondering what mess he had gotten himself into this time.

'But maybe this once,' he thought as he welcomed the breeze from the fountain. 'Maybe this once I don't want to get out of the mess.'


	18. Chapter XVIII

**Chapter XVIII: Jack's Exploration **

**Note: **no, this isn't a title that's implying sexual exploration of Riddick. sigh Sorry, kids. This one is short too, and the end is a little out of nowhere but it does relate. Promise.

Walking out of a bakery, Liege held a freshly baked loaf of bread while Jack managed to rearrange herself after purchasing the food.

Tearing off a piece, Liege handed it to Jack, who readily took it and began to take large chunks of it and almost swallowed it without chewing.

"Clearly someone's got an appetite." Liege remarked as Jack reached for the loaf of bread that Liege held high above Jacks head, making sure she couldn't get any. "Ye can 'ave some, but only on one condition."

"Name it." Jack growled, her eyes narrowing, constantly glancing at the loaf.

"Ye got to chew it a' least FOUR times 'fore ye wolf it down like some sort 'o beast." Liege commanded, bringing the bread back down to Jacks level.

"Sure thing, boss." Jack joked, a little annoyed at Liege's height advantage, but happy that she got more bread.

"And ye 'ave this appetite cause ye used yer energy up las' night, eh?" Liege asked casually, looking for change of light, ignoring Jack's look of shock.

"Liege! How dare you accuse me of such…" Jack trailed off, realizing Liege was already walking across the street. Hurrying up to her, she tried to form sentences, but to her dismay none came out.

"I think ye were tryin' to say 'how dare ye accuse me of such truths'." Liege offered, handing Jack another piece of bread.

"I've given up reasoning with Irish logic. Let's go shopping." Jack said, sounding defeated.

"Aye, that we shall." Liege replied, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of bread. After she swallowed it, she began to wonder where they should go first. "But, little lass, where shall we be goin' first?"

"Well I thought we were going to look for those parlor things." Jack answered, looking around as if one were right across the street.

"I took the liberty of checkin' for some in the local directory, but Helion Prime has got nothing of the sorts. Well, at least legal ones. Hygienic ones, tha' is." Liege explained, crumpling up the paper bag that held the bread and threw it into the garbage disposal, where it burst into flames and settled down to the bottom.

"Hm," Jack said, taking the long way around the garbage, not wanting to be the next victim. "Well lets walk around then."

"Sure, whatever ye want, Jackie lass." Liege shortly said, suddenly checking over her shoulder. Steering Jack onto another street, Liege prayed the feeling she just had was a fluke.

Jack pretended not to notice, but for the rest of the afternoon, she kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Wanting to keep Liege safe from her constant paranoia, she promised she would bring it up with Riddick when she returned home.

"Jack?" Liege asked as they walked home, seeing as it was still light outside but Riddick wanted them home early.

"Yeah?" Jack replied, tired from the long days walk through the city. Not much had changed, but Jack was happy to explore it again.

"Ye ever been swimmin'?"

"What?"

"Ye know, like a fish…shark…whatever. I was lookin' at the waters jus' outside of this city, and they look'd very clean. Could we swim in them?" Liege asked, looking hopeful.

Jack grinned at the thought of a day on the beach with Riddick. Shaking her head free from Riddick in swimming shorts, Jack looked back up at her friend, who was awaiting her answer.

"Don't see why not. I'll ask Imam when we get back."

"Alright, sounds good."


	19. Chapter XIX

**Notes:**

**Thanks to: **

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – see? Updating! **

**NightmareWeaver – yes, I couldn't resist. He is described as all tan and sexy, so he has to get it _somewhere_.**

**Future note: Work is going to kill me this week, so updates will be not as many. Apologies. So…savor it. **

**Chapter XIX: A Dive Into Riddick**

Riddick felt his heart stop when he saw Jack and Liege almost stumble into the courtyard. They looked exhausted, but he knew it was just from walking around. They didn't have the panicked look of an intense chase in their eyes.

Slipping off the balcony, Riddick went back to his room, knowing Jack would join him eventually. Deciding for a light nap before she entered, he shut his eyes and let his senses pick up sounds he couldn't hear when he was fully alert because he wasn't nearly relaxed enough.

_"No!" A scream ripped through the entire ship, causing Riddick to sit straight up in his chair. Yelling at the holy man to man the ship, he was at the girls door in seconds. Kicking it open, he growled when he saw her thrashing on the bed, entagled deep in a nightmare._

_Quickly walking towards the bed, he tore the sheets from her and wrapped his arms around her twitching frame, wishing it would work. As if his prayers were answered, she fell limp in his arms but soon woke, in a state of complete shock._

_"Fuck, kid. Anything but shock." Riddick cursed, loosening a shiv from his boot. Not wanting to do this, but not wanting to leave her in shock, he held his shiv and counted the bumbs of Jack's spin. Finding the middle one, he slipped his armed hand up underneath her shirt and made a quick 'x' over that part of her spine, causing her to instantly wake. _

_"Riddick…" she groaned, holding onto him as he cleaned and sheathed his blade. Wrapping both arms around the gangly frame, he leaned against the wall, which served as the backboard of the bed. Completely on his lap, Jack began to fall asleep, but he could still smell her fear of falling back into those nightmares. _

_Holding her tightly, he freed one hand and rubbed the fuzz that adorned Jack's head, making her smile very slightly. He felt relieved by this, but he wasn't quite sure why. _

_Soon her breathing evened and he continued to stay. Imam could handle the ship, besides, they weren't even close to any systems whatsoever. _

_Breathing in the scent of Jack, he growled as he felt her twitch against him, but soon her body was at rest. Still rubbing the fuzz that was her hair, he frowned and watching the door the entire time, wanting to protect this confused kid from anything that might come though it._

_Still, he didn't know why he felt that way. _

'Shithead,' he thought to himself as he put away the memory. 'Cause you care for her. No, it's more than that. Much more.'

Growling in annoyance, he pushed himself up off the bed and went towards the balcony, hoping the fresh breeze would clear his head. Sure he liked Jack, and he was pretty sure she liked him too, but where the fuck was it going to go?

What would happen after he completely claimed her? He knew he would willingly do it now, but one huge factor held him back. If he were tied down by another person, what happened to his freedom? His absolute freedom, just moving when he wanted or, in some cases, because he was being chased. He had the entirety of the universe when he was alone, but would he have it with Jack?

Riddick was Riddick, but could he also be Riddick and Jack? He knew if he were to truly bond with Jack, they would almost have to be one in the same person, because if something happened to her, he would blame himself entirely. So, it was obvious he cared for her, but could he really cope with caring more? Could Jack adapt to his lifestyle where she would be just as important as his freedom, but not more?

These questions plagued Riddick as he closed his eyes, cursing at the damn feelings that bothered him as well. Deciding to rest, he didn't realize he was drifting into another memory until he saw a smaller version of Jack, head still fuzzy.

_"Jack, one more time." Imam instructed. He was teaching Jack math equations and he believed that repeating them aloud would help her remember them. _

_"Imaaaaam. This will be the fifteenth time!" Jack whined, looking up from her seated position on the floor. Imam crossed his arms over his chest and clucked his tongue in displeasure._

_"Once more, then you are free to go." He compromised, glad to see Jack's face light up with joy._

_Riddick was watching from the doorway, amused at Jack's antics, but also impressed by her quick learning skills and remarkable memory. He observed how Jack repositioned herself, getting ready for the last repitition. _

_"X equals negative b, plus or minus the square root of b squared plus four times ac, all divided by two times a." Jack recited, never faltering once._

_"Very good, Jack! Now you are free to wreck havoc upon my house again." Imam applauded Jack, glad that she was such a bright student, although a little rebellious at times._

_Jack jumped up with joy and turned to run into the kitchen, absolutely starving for some food. She immediately stopped when she saw Riddick's large frame in the doorway. _

_"Hi." She greeted, feeling her entire body tense with his presence. Riddick noted Imam slip out of the room, not wanting to be a part of the conversation._

_"Evening, kid." He gruffly replied, crossing his arms over his chest like Imam had done minutes earlier. Jack was angry with his casual attitude and snarled like a wildcat. _

_"So will you let me through or are you going to just there, _**just **_to spite me!" _

_Riddick was taken back by her verbal attack, not knowing where it had come from. He moved to the side, as if letting her go through. Moving swiftly past, Jack barely had time to blink before she felt her wrists being grabbed and her body slammed into the other side of the doorway. Riddick held her wrists above her head and stepped close enough so her lower body was immobile. _

_"Got a problem with me, kid?" He growled quietly, amused by her useless struggles against his grip._

_"Yeah, you bastard. I've got a name and I can take care of myself, so stop treating me otherwise. And don't pretend I don't exist, because if I was ever kidnapped-"_

_Jack was cut off by her body and especially wrists being shoved harder against the frame, this time to a point where it hurt. _

_"Don't you ever fucking say that, kid." He snarled, ignoring the look of pain on her face. _

_"Then don't fucking treat me like a kid." Jack snapped back, fighting against his grip._

_Riddick suddenly smiled and began to laugh, a deep-hearted laugh, as if someone had just told him a hilarious story. Jack growled and took the opportunity to twist free and push him back. He kept laughing until she reached back and tried to back hand him. _

_Laughter gone, he caught her hand mere centimeters away from his face. Lifting his goggles with his other hand, he stared Jack down. _

_"You're fast, Jack. Not fast enough." He said quietly, trying to judge her emotions, but finding it near impossible. Letting her hand go he rested it on her head, feeling the growing fuzz that was her hair. "You're a good kid, Jack. Don't mess up." _

Riddick snapped awake when he felt another presence in the room. Focusing his vision he was graced with the tired form of Jack, who dropped down on the bed and sat on the edge, her back facing him.

"Riddick, something happened today…" Jack quietly admitted, looking away, not wanting to see his I-told-you-this-was-dangerous stare.

Instead she was turned around and silver mixed with concern met her. Sighing, she dropped against him, circling her arms around his neck, feeling exhausted.

"What happened?"

"Liege was on edge all day today. I think she thought someone was following us. She kept turning at random corners and holding me back from walking past corner buildings sometimes." Jack further explained, feeling calmed by his heartbeat in her ear.

"You will _not _go outside without me from now on." Riddick ordered, leaving no room for protest. Jack nodded against his chest and her eyes fluttered shut, feeling the exhaustion once more.

Pulling her closer to him and laying down with her body molded against his, Riddick smelled Jack's hair and wondered if he could smell this for the rest of his life.


	20. Chapter XX

**Chapter XX: Trouble Brewing At Home**

Liege lost all sense of tiredness when she reached home, knowing that she and Jack had been followed at various points during the day. Passing Riddick's room, Liege walked into her room and almost slammed the door when she realized Riddick might blow a fuse if she disturbed them. Quietly closing the door, she considered locking it but that might seem suspicious.

Letting her hair down, she paced around the room for several minutes, her head spinning with what had happened and what might be happening. Why would they follow her now? The pact had been made, she was going to be an indirect part of the family 'business' or legacy, as she was told when she was growing up. How could it have been broken?

Liege suddenly stopped dead in center of the room, realizing what the worst that could've happened might of happened. Running her hand through her hair, she told herself it wasn't true. They wouldn't of killed her father, he was one the strongest and wisest in the family. But if they did, well, it would explain why they were following her. She assumed that the pact was held if her father was alive, since he could then prevent anything from disrupting the pact.

Sitting down on Jack's bed, Liege held her head in her hands, confused as what she should do. Looking up, she felt the sunset's rays on her and she suddenly knew what she had to do.

Digging through her bag, she found a notebook and tore a page out. Snatching a pen from Jack's desk, she hastily scribbled a note and left it there, with the pen holding it down. Feeling the oncoming evening breeze, Liege dug out her floor-length brown leather coat.

Slipping it on, she considered going out through the door. But Imam might see her and Riddick would certainly hear her. Moving out to the balcony, she looked down and found she could jump from hers to the one downstairs and then jump the street. Thanking her luck that the courtyard was only in the front, Liege leapt from balcony to balcony to ground.

Tying up her hair in a quick braid, Liege walked as silently as possible for four block before she felt it safe to run. Racing through the streets, she weaved in and out of evening traffic, not paying attention to the carts filled with goods that were scattered between the modern automobiles.

Barely breaking a sweat, Liege swiftly turned the corner and found herself in an almost empty marketplace. Cursing, she stalked down the aisles where the busy stalls had been not half an hour ago.

Seeing the one that was next to Khan's still packing up, she asked them if they knew where Khan had went to. Giving her directions, Liege thanked them and was on her way again, grateful that she couldn't feel anyone following her.

Taking small streets, Liege found herself in an alley that curved and swerved, never quite able to see the end unless you were at that exit. Slowing to a walk, she took in the brightly coloured awnings that draped over hand-made porches. Even farther up there were clothes lines, where some birds perched. Listening to the sounds of dinner being prepared in different households, Liege felt calmed by the smell of the flowers that some people had used their porch for. Overflowing veins of velvety petals of many different colours, Liege took in a deep breath.

Seeing that she was only a few doors away from Khan's home, Liege almost smiled, wishing that this were just a social call. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she rapped her knuckles against the wooden door. As she heard movement within, she wondered if Jack had found her note yet, and if she did, she hoped she understood why she had left the house.

The door opened to reveal a very tired-looking Khan. Upon seeing Liege, his eyes widened and he immediately dragged her in and quietly, but quickly, closed the door behind him.

"My good friend, why are you here? Do you not know what has happened? The danger you are putting yourself in?" Khan asked with confusion and concern lacing his normally jovial and friendly voice.

"What do ye mean, 'what has happened'? Khan, answer me." Liege demanded, her old demeanor of being a child of high status returning.

"There has been a massive overthrow of power in your family, little one. I'm afraid your father has been put out of power and chained away somewhere. Yet, I know he is alive, for the pact is still in place."

"Then why be there people followin' me? Answer me that, Khan." Liege asked, trying not to sound shocked at the earlier news.

"Ach, this is worse than I thought. Are you quite sure it is them? Not another group, perhaps?"

"Yes, for the first damn half of me life I've been under tha' constant followin'. I know what it feels like. Exactly what it feels like. If the pact is still in place, wha' do they want me for?"

"That I cannot answer. What are you going to do, Liege?" Khan asked, sitting down from mental exhaustion. Such an overthrow was not only bad for business, but it meant his neck was on the line as well.

He looked at Liege, who was still standing, but deep in thought. He marveled how much she looked like her father, a dark intense stare into nothing showed when he was planning something. Usually something big and system-shaking, as he used to call it.

"Khan. What do ye 'ave in life?" She asked, still thinking.

"Well, my business, which is very hard to keep going right now. I still need to find what side I'm supposed to be on. Why do you ask?"

"If, hypothetically, ye were to accompany me-"

"Oh no, little one. I am not going back with you. It is too dangerous for both of us. What are you planning?"

"Well, if they want me back, it must be for a particular reason. And I believe I know what." She replied, eyeing him again. She had the beginnings of a plan that could definitely work.

"Of course, but why? Liege, what do you know that I do not?" Khan asked, amusement and anticipation creeping into his voice, making him sound more like the Khan she knew and liked very much.

"Since me da be locked away, they be needin' a new leader, aye? But, there be high chances of all the ole' bosses creatin' a sort of…alliance. But, they be needin' a puppet to act as a figurehead. So, they know they can't possibly use me da, so why not put in the stock of the new generation? But, they 'ad to lock up me da because a) 'e would fight like the devil if 'e knew they be hauntin' me 'n b) how could they 'ave me as a puppet if me da was still around? But they can't kill 'em cause they know I would gather mself an army to break 'em down." Liege finished, running out of breath by the end.

"That is brilliant, Liege. Truly brilliant. I'll look into it, but you need to get home. It's already very dark out." Khan commented, motioning towards the small window next to the door.

"Shit. One more thing, Khan. Ye remember tha' little lass I bought with me? The one tha' bought the ring?"

"Beautiful piece of…er…yes, I do. Why?"

"Ye be keepin' her out of trouble. If she be outside alone, and ye hear about it and I hear yer arse isn't out there guardin' 'ers, I be stealin' various…vital parts of ye, are we clear?" Liege threatened, taking out a knife to make it more realistic.

"Sure! Sure! Keep that blade away from me. I know your father trained you, and he was better than the devil himself at using them!"

Laughing, Liege moved to the door and began to let herself out when Khan stood up and held the door open for her. Nodding, she slipped out of the door only to hear Khan call her back.

"Be careful, Liege. You of all people know it's dangerous now."


	21. Chapter XXI

**Notes:**

**Thanks to:**

**NightmareWeaver**

**Kat**

**Blondevor**

**Tweety**

**----yes the plot is deepening and I make threats like that all the time, where'd ya think I got 'em?----**

**Chapter XXI: Liege's Legacy**

Nodding again, Liege slipped into the shadows of the buildings and began to make her way home. Crossing now-empty streets, she had her senses on full alert, praying she wouldn't hear any footsteps behind her.

Feeling relieved when she jumped the garden wall, Liege slipped into the house through the kitchen, where dinner was being cooked but no cook was present.

She moved to the stairs and almost thought she had made it out and back without anyone noticing. But how could anything possibly for that well for her?

"LIEGE!" She heard Jack shout from behind. Turning around she was faced with an angry Jack. "Thanks for the note, but where the HELL have you been?"

"Out." Liege answered shortly.

"Clearly. You scared the shit out of me. Seriously, where did you go?" Jack asked, sounding more human.

"Jack, I should break it to ye now. I might not be here soon. There be many…issues in me family goin' on right now, and I might 'ave to be present." Liege explained, glancing at Riddick who had appeared on the top of the stairs.

"Jack. Here. Now." He ordered, and Jack gave one last final sad look at Liege before she joined Riddick, leaning into his side.

"Liege. I think it's time we had a little…chat." Riddick said, sounding no less sinister then he looked. She could feel the glare coming through his goggles.

"What is it ye be wantin' to know?" Liege asked, sitting in a chair across from Riddick and Jack, who were sitting on a couch. She noted the absolute no contact between the two, and wondered whose idea that was.

"I'm quite sure you know what that is." Riddick was no kind man, and Liege knew this was going to happen so she put her best on. What her father taught her.

"Is that so? But, yer no idiot, ye would've already dug up information on me, so why don't ye be tellin' us? Let me guess, the short merchant? Sellin' the same goods as Khan? Tha' damn bastard couldn't keep 'is mouth shut and he's dead now. All cause of ye pokin' around in other people's business." Liege started, noticing how Jack was becoming uncomfortable and uptight.

"I was doing it for Jack." He replied, not looking the least bit phased by Liege's new attitude.

"Well, ye want to know? Me family be one of the most prominent families in organized crime in all known systems. We be strictly Irish, so no one can enter unless they're related. Or Irish. There's been an overthrow in power, and they be runnin' after me, wantin' me to be the new boss. Me da was the old one and I've got me suspicions. Happy now?"

"Oh Liege, I'm sorry. Where is your dad now?" Jack asked, instantly accepting all of it. She care for the older girl, who, on countless occasions, defended Jack at school.

"I don't know yet, but I've been told he has been locked up somewhere. First I need to find him, then I can plan from there." Liege replied, glancing at Riddick who hadn't said a word.

"Jack, go upstairs. I'll be up." Riddick suddenly said, his voice leaving no room for argument. Jack obediently went up but not without smacking the back of his head first.

"Don't you be ordering me around now, you hear me?" She asked, already up the stairs before he could answer.

"Liege. You can't just get up and go." He started, standing up and walking over to her, where she stared up at him from her seated position.

"They saw Jack. They know I know her 'n tha' I 'ave some sort of tie to her, puttin' her in danger. The sooner I go to them, the less time there will be for either 'er or you to get hurt." Liege argued, rubbing her eyes.

"You realize that Jack will convince me to go after you if you do leave?" Riddick asked, amusement in his voice.

"I'll talk to 'er. The last thing tha' lass wants is to get messed up in this family tha' ain't 'ers." She stated, standing up as well. Sliding her hand down one leather-covered arm, she sighed.

"She will go regardless."

"She can't. Ye of all people know is stupid. She will get 'urt if she goes. There be higher chances of 'er gettin' killed than bein' hurt. These people, they don't like to ransom, or be patient. They plan, they kill. Tis the way of life for 'em." She explained, her hand motions becoming more and more vague.

"Jack's done a lot of stupid things and this one will just add onto the ever-growing list." Riddick said, knowing that is was incredibly dangerous.

"Look, I'll be 'ere for a few more days, but if it gets intense, 'm packin' up 'n goin' home. Jack can't get 'urt, I'd be devasted if she was. Tha' and I would go ballistic 'n murder every single one of those bastards." Liege compromised, closing her eyes in exhaustion. "Can ye do something for me?"

"Name it." Riddick ordered, observing the tired form of a young woman who had been through too much for her age.

"Ye take care of Jack, 'n these next few days, ye do yer best to keep 'er mind off of me. If she sees me worried like this, she might as well call up Falc 'n Rick to keep me tied 'ere." Liege asked, knowing defeat was a possibility, she closed her eyes and began to drift to sleep.

"I will." He consented, lifting up the body in his arms, he walked up the stairs and into Jack's room, where he laid her down on Jack's bed.

He took off his goggles as he left the room, knowing it was safe for him to wander around in the dim light of the house. Closing the door behind him, he turned into his room where he found Jack half-asleep on the bed.

Smirking to himself, he crawled on top of her and wrapped her up in his arms, where she snuggled herself against him. Both content, they too drifted off to sleep.

Sighing, he put away the food, knowing they could eat it tomorrow. Imam knew there was bound to be unrest in the house, so he sent his wife away to keep her safe. He too was tired and shut off the lights as he made his way to his study.


	22. Chapter XXII

**Chapter XXII: Preparation for the Beach!**

The next morning the house was silent as its occupants woke, one still tired from the day before. Liege felt the responsibility of her family weighing down on her and knew it wasn't long before she either willingly returned or was forced to.

Jack was still worried about her friend, but Riddick kept his word and distracted Jack as much as possible. When they both woke, Jack sat on the edge of the bed, worrying what would happen to Liege.

As she sat, biting on her lower lip, she felt Riddick slip up behind her and encircle her small waist with his muscled arms, causing her to momentarily forget her worries. She closed her eyes as he nuzzled her from behind, knowing she would be content and safe in his arms.

The day passed quietly, almost no words being spoken, except for the occasional greeting or formality. Finally, Imam had had quite enough of the nonsense and called the other three into his study.

As he sat behind his desk, he viewed the trio as if he were the teacher and the three his disobedient pupils. Sighing, he tried to think of some activity for them to do, to maybe loosen up. It was unhealthy and in his opinion, ruining the atmosphere of his normally light-hearted home.

"The three of you, sit." He ordered, seeing how Liege stood for a moment, as if debating whether she was actually allowed to sit. Jack sat curled up next to Riddick on the couch, his arm protectively draped over her body.

"This has gone on long enough. This evening we will go out to the water and have a dinner…of sorts, there. There is food from last night, which no one ate, so we will pack that." He was glad at how both Liege's and Jack's face lightened at the idea.

"Holy man, I don't know if you haven't noticed, but I'm not much of a beach guy." Riddick commented, secretly pleased to see Jack happy.

"First time for everything." Jack replied, poking his stomach and giggling at his growl.

"Indeed. Liege, are you willing to go?"

"Sure thing, Jack and I were just discussing swimming." Liege agreed, sounding much better than before.

"Good, I except everyone to be ready in fifteen minutes." Imam said, standing as the other three did. Liege walked out of the room first, followed by Jack and Riddick.

Liege and Jack were reunited in their room, and Liege smiled at Jack's exclamations of joy. Both had been to a 'beach' before, although Liege was a better swimmer than Jack.

"Liege, do you think Riddick can swim?" Jack asked, digging through her drawers, looking for her bathing suit.

"I'm sure he can swim. He'd be an outright sissy if he couldn't." Liege replied, wondering where she could put her knives.

"Well, if he _can _swim, that means he'll be wearing swimming shorts right?" Jack asked, blushing at Liege's immediate smirk in response.

"I suppose it does…me little Jack is oogling over 'er lover. How…cute." Liege added, still smirking as she slipped on surfing shorts and a bikini top. Pulling on a shirt over her outfit, she grumbled as she looked for proper footwear.

Jack was ready to go and sat in the entry hall, just dying to see Riddick in swimming shorts. Thanking her luck, she remembered to bring a camera, just for rare moments like these. Sure it was an ancient device, but it did its work well.

She laughed outright and Liege came stomping down in her complete (normal looking) beach outfit and then her black leather boots, completely mismatching the entire fashion. Stifling her giggles at Liege's snarls, Jack wiped away tears of laughter as Liege sat down next to her.

"Oh my…" Jack barely whispered, watching Riddick walk down the steps, wearing a tight white wife-beater and yes, shorts. They were actually cargo shorts, but he too was wearing his working boots.

"Ye don't 'ave beach sandals either?" Liege asked, motioning at his feet.

"Don't talk about it, leprechaun." He snapped back, not excited by this beaching idea. Sure he had traveled around a few desert-climate systems, but never did he stop to relax a beach.

"You look…positively…"

"Don't say it Jack." He warned.

"Dashing." She finished, breaking into laughter once more as he scowled at her.

"If anyone looks 'dashin' Jack, it be Imam." Liege said, jerking her head in front of her where Imam was proudly walking down the hallway, beach necessities in hand.


	23. Chapter XXIII

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed**

**NightmareWeaver – Really like your story 'Blood'. **

**Audacia**

**Chapter XXIII: All Good Things Must Come To A Close**

After much argument and small battles over who would sit where, Imam was driving, Riddick sat in the passenger seat and Jack and Liege sat in the back.

"Please tell me we're going to a secluded beach." Jack commented, looking out the window.

"Of course we are, little Jack. What would the public think if they saw Riddick in swimming trunks on the beach?" Imam said in all seriousness, making Jack and Liege burst out into hysterical giggles.

"Mercs would never let me live it down." Riddick added, rubbing his head. He couldn't get a sun burn, right? Trying not to think of such consequences, he looked out for anyone who might be trailing them.

Liege looked out the window and watched as the sand-stone buildings lessened and became more spread out until there was just rolling golden sand. Light blue crystal-like water lapped at the edges of small pools that led into larger lakes. While it some might think it contrasted, Liege believed that the light blue reflected nicely with the golden tan of the soft sand.

Finally, Imam pulled off the main road and before they knew it, they found themselves on a secluded lake-area, but the lake was so large, it could've easily been a bay. With the sky darkening, Riddick lifted the goggles from his face and watched as Jack, Liege and Imam set up.

He staked out the territory they would be in, checking every possible hiding spot and sniping point that a spy could use. Deciding it was safe for the time being, Riddick returned, amused at Jack fighting with the beach umbrella.

"DAMN PIECE OF SHIT!" Jack yelled, receiving a scolding, but gentle, smack from Imam on her head. Liege went to help her and ended up having to forcibly separate Jack from the harmful object.

Quickly setting up the offending accessory, Liege grinned at Jack who narrowed her eyes at her, wondering why an Irish woman of all people could use a beach umbrella.

Laughing, Liege took off her boots and lifted off her shirt, exposing her well-toned stomach and various tattoos. Hearing Imam's gasp at her body art, she turned and asked him what was wrong.

"In my culture body art is strongly advised against, that is all child, yet your body art has meaning, yes?" He asked, sitting on the blanket underneath the umbrella.

Pointing to the shield on the small of her back, Liege explained it was the crest of her family. There were three lines of an ancient language on her right shoulder blade, and she explained that to be a protection chant written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Riddick noticed Jack eyeing the tattoos and he pulled her against his chest, liking how she shivered from the rumble of his growl that vibrated into her. Leaning down to her ear, his breath made her shudder, unsure whether she was extremely cold or very feverish.

"Jack, don't even think about it." He warned, his hands massaging her hips. Flashing back to the daydream she had in the shower, Jack blushed furiously.

"Sure thing, babe." She taunted, pulling away from him and laughing at his expression. Turning her back to face him, she purposely lifted her shirt inch by inch, lavishing in the attention of Riddick's hungry stare.

She was interrupted by wet water foliage thrown right at her face. Ripping off the rest of her shirt, she quickly undid the skirt she was wearing that covered her bottom half. Letting that fall to the ground, she ran to the water, where Liege was already armed with another plant.

"I'm going to get you!" Jack threatened, jumping into the water. She was surprised at how warm it was, but glad because she didn't want to screech like that in front of Riddick.

She turned to hear Riddick's laugh as he watched the two girls play in the water. Sitting in the light, he was glad for the evening sky, so he wouldn't have to wear his goggles. Jack preferred him that way, and he could watch her body easier, as it easily moved through the water.

Laying back, he just began to partially enjoy the heat when he felt water splashed on him. Immediately sitting up he was greeted by Jack's laugh and Liege's grin.

Liege swam over to Jack and balanced on a rock underneath the water. Enjoying the sound of Jack being overall content, she watched as Riddick debated what to do.

"This is all part of yer wicked plan to get 'im undressed, isn't it, Jack?" Liege asked, whispering in her friends ear. Jack gave her a mock look of shock.

"Of course not. Why on _earth _would I do that?"

Both girls laughed again and were unprepared for the sudden wave of water that drenched them. They swiped the sea water from their faces to see Riddick in the water, smirking at both of them.

"I _splashed _you, you big monkey. There is a noticeable difference between that and a TSUNAMI!" Jack yelled, still enjoying herself.

Liege moved out of the water, content knowing that Jack and Riddick could have time together. Drying off, she put her shirt back on and told Imam she was going for a walk.

The sounds of Jack and Riddick faded as she walked on the sand, looking for a shell or pretty stone. Suddenly hearing a shift of sand behind her, Liege cursed herself from behind so stupid.

Before she even blinked she ran in the opposite direction, away from Imam, Jack and Riddick. But she was suddenly blocked by four masked men. Knowing she was being herded back to their camp-site, Liege decided to make the best of it.

Turning to face them, she whistled out a battle cry, knowing Jack would hear it and recognize it. In a blaze of sudden fury, Liege ran headlong into the group of men, blades drawn.

Jack suddenly froze in the water, hearing the familiar signal she had learned when they had played paintball in school. Realizing what it meant, she vividly cursed as she sprinted out of the water, leaving a confused Riddick behind.

He was out of the water in seconds and grabbed Jack's arm, spinning her around.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It's Liege! Someone's attacked her! Let me go, Riddick!" She yelled, anger, concern and hatred made her voice hard to listen to.

"No. I won't let you go. Imam, pack up." Riddick ordered, seeing the holy man immediately start to clean up.

"How can you just leave her!" Jack yelled, fighting against Riddick.

"Jack! Shut the fuck up and move your ass to that car. Now." Riddick snarled, feeling like he was dealing with new inmates in the slam.

Torn, Jack looked to where she had seen Liege walk off to and then turned back to Riddick, whose face was a cold mask of fury, not the man she knew, but the killer the universe knew.

Whimpering softly, she ran to help Imam pack. They were soon packed and Jack looked back to where still stood, frozen, as if listening to the battle from afar.

Imam got into the car and yelled for Jack to get in, but she stood still, looking at Riddick. Upon realizing this, he walked to Jack and tenderly smoothed her wet hair back. Kissing her forehead lightly, he whispered something to her before she turned and ran to the car.


	24. Chapter XXIV

**Chapter XXIV: Family Drop-In**

As soon as they were gone, Riddick began to sprint towards the ongoing battle, hoping that Liege was still alive. He stopped when he reached a scene of unrecognizable gore. Torn, disfigured and barely living bodies were scattered around the sand. Watching as the sand absorbed the blood, Riddick turned away and looked to where he saw Liege fighting.

He growled in surprise at how well she was surviving, considering how bruised and bloodied she was. With each swift movement, a flash of sharp steel accompanied it, usually resulting in another deep wound of the other fighter. Silently stepping behind the fighter, Riddick withdrew one of his shivs and rooted it in the sweet spot.

Liege watched as the body fell before her and Riddick stood behind it, the bloody blade in hand. Panting heavily, she stumbled the ground, relieved that the last of the fighters were gone.

"Riddick." She barely gasped out, still kneeling on the ground. "Where is-"

"Safe. I sent them back." He replied, helping her up. He was once again surprised at her as she suddenly tore away from his grip.

"BACK! Are ye mad! They'll be intercepted! Ye bloody fool, they're probably already taken hostage!" She yelled, feeling a renewed sense of duty, she began to launch herself over the sand dunes.

Cursing himself for his stupidity, Riddick ran beside her, often lifting her before she tripped over a small mound of sand or rock.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck…" Liege cursed, following the road on which the came, wondering where the hell Jack and Imam had gone to.

She stopped short and turned around, knowing exactly where they were. Waiting, she growled as she saw men move out of the sand dunes. She recognized all of them and they her. Hearing Riddick growl next to her when he saw Jack and Imam tied and bound, she wanted to hold him back for the last moment.

Liege stepped forward, ignoring the blood running through one eye from a still-pulsing cut over on her forehead. Waiting for the leader, she cleaned her blades on her shorts, wishing she had her boots and was wearing pants.

She growled as she saw a very familiar face step forward, and with her intense stare, she knew he felt guilty and ashamed for doing what he did.

"So, McKellern, was it ye who betrayed me father? Or was it one of 'is other most loyal men?" Liege snarled, motioning to the group of men behind him.

"Shut yer trap, ye stupid bitch. Ye knew there was goin' to be a flip in power." He replied, stepping closer towards her.

"Let those two go, it's me ye want, not them." She ordered, pointing her blade towards Imam and Jack.

"'n how did ye figure tha' one out, eh? 'n what makes ye think I'll follow yer orders?" He replied, too arrogant for his own good.

"Because," Liege started, slowly walking towards him. "I be of old power, 'n ye would be breakin' the honor if ye don't follow the orders of old power, McKellern. There may be an overturn in power, but when ye be power, ye always be power, 'n a lowly bastard like yerself can't disobey. So ye let 'em go. Now."

Riddick saw the guilty wrath in this mans face as he motioned the two men holding Jack and Imam forward, his eyes never taken off Liege's. He growled as he saw Jack being dragged through the dry, packed sand. The moment they passed Liege's feet, Riddick stepped forward and cut the bonds of Imam and Jack.

"But ye still need to come with us. Ye daddy be missin' ye, lassie." He taunted, unprepared for the sudden back hand of Liege, who held the hilt of the knife and smashed into the side of the face, satisfied at the sound of his jaw bone cracking.

"Don't ye dare talk 'bout me da. Go back, tail between yer legs, crawl back and tell tha' bastard of an overlord that I be comin' for 'is blood. And if a drop of me da's is spilled, I will fuckin' massacre 'is entire fucking network." Liege ordered, leaning to the side and delivering a hard blow to his stomach, making him double over.

"Bitch." McKellern barely spat out, kneeling over the ground that was absorbing his blood.

"Ye got tha' right. And if I be feelin' ye around me from now on, ye can bet on it tha' yer dicks won't be there when all ye bastards wake up." Liege threatened, speaking to the entire group.

Watching as they moved out, Liege turned back to Riddick, Imam and Jack who were still in slight shock. Jack clung to Riddick, who growled comforting words into her ears, running his hand through her hair. Imam prayed to his god, muttering phrases in a language Liege did not understand.

"Let's go home." She said. Not as an order or command, but a view of the general consent. Riddick picked up Jack and climbed in the back of the car with her while Liege and Imam sat in the front.

The ride home was dead silent, but Liege knew she had allies now, and soon she could take action. Sighing, she finally knew there was no way escaping family legacy.


	25. Chapter XXV

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed**

**tamekabu**

**NightmareWeaver – you update too! Please. **

**Nimiriewen – new reviewer! Exciting. Glad you like it and you shall see what happens soon enough. Hope yer patient.**

**Chapter XXV: Who is Home?**

Brushing away offers to help her, Liege climbed the stairs and immediately went to the bathroom. As she showered, she forgot how her cuts stung and her bruises ached. It had hurt her to see all those boys she had grown up with to betray her father like that. But, she assumed, they didn't have much of a choice.

McKellern had been her…boyfriend so to say. Liege growled in frustration and slammed her fist sideways into the tiled shower wall. Why had he of all people done that? He was almost as loyal as she was to her father.

Closing her eyes in confusion and shame, she thought of how he had looked when they had confronted each other only hours before. He had grown up to be a very handsome man, well muscled, but not ask bulky as Riddick. His fiery red hair was darker than hers, but he had it cut very short and his bright blue eyes had burned with emotion. He too had tattoos, a medieval cross down his right bicep and a thick intricate cuff on his left wrist. She knew he would have others, for everyone in her family of crime did.

When they were younger, he had always gone by the name "Kell", because real names were never revealed and almost never used. Liege cursed again when she realized that the water had gone cold and shut it off, shivering in the shower. She tugged a towel off its rack and dried herself off, growling as she stained the cloth with blood.

Deciding she needed to clean herself up, Liege quickly dressed and braided her wet hair. Walking down the hallway, she quietly knocked on Riddick's door, hearing the shower running.

The door opened to reveal a tense Riddick, who immediately opened the door further to admit Liege. Without saying anything, she sat on the floor, feeling it wasn't her place to sit on the bed.

Guessing that Jack was in the shower, she waited patiently as Riddick took the first-aid kit from the bathroom. Sitting in front of her, he asked her where the worst cuts were.

Replying that it was the one over her eye, he got to work. Thankfully, they had the technology so it wouldn't scar, but it hurt as the gel basically burned the skin back together.

Assuring him that the smaller cuts would heal on their own, she stood and walked out of the room, glad that she was housed with two people who knew first-aid. She had never learned them, since she hated medical-related anything, and she was always with someone who could fix her up, so she never worried.

"Liege." Riddick's voice followed her and she stopped in the hallway and turned around. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Soon enough, soon enough. Ye will keep Jack 'ere, 'n I'll return." Liege replied, wincing when she breathed, considering how massive the bruises were along her ribs.

She thanked her lucky stars Riddick hadn't been out in the hallway to see her wince, but she knew that he must've heard it in her voice. Liege turned back into her room and climbed up the ladder to her loft bed, where she instantly fell asleep.

Shutting off the water, Jack reached for a towel and instead was met by a dry, warm hand. Instantly recognizing it, she didn't have time to protest, but was pulled out of the shower. Tripping into him, he held her slick body against his dry one, nuzzling her wet hair.

"You smell good, Jack. Clean." He growled, his hands spanning across her back. Jack was overwhelmed by the physical and emotional feelings that ran amuck through her. Deciding to just do what felt best, she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

Riddick removed one hand from her back to get a towel, all the while eyeing Jack's beautiful body. Her skin colour was naturally tanned, from being exposed to Helion weather for roughly five years. Trying not to growl, he resisted just taking her right then and there. It wasn't the time for that, he thought to himself.

Surprising by the feeling of warm terry-like cloth being draped over her, Jack opened her eyes to be greeted by Riddick's, who swooped down and captured her lips in a quick kiss. Comforted by this gesture, Jack had little protest when he began to towel her down himself.

Soon she found herself dressed in one of his oversized shirts and sitting in bed, waiting for him as he showered. Brushing her hair again, Jack wondered what Liege was going to do, now that there had been an open attack.

Jack refused to accept the fact that Liege was going to leave, but she knew it would be for the best. She needed to regain control over her family, free her father and then disappear again. Yet, for that last part, she knew Liege would never 'disappear' to her or Riddick, considering that if she was tracked, they would be the first people looked for. Jack wasn't going to stop Liege, but she would try to help her, no matter how much she protested.

And then there was the matter of Riddick. Jack thought back to the intimate scene in the bathroom only minutes ago, and the other times she had been close to him. She cared for him deeply, but was he willing to be with her?

Closing her eyes, she pulled the brush through her long hair one more time before she let it fall from her hand to the bed. Flopping back onto the soft mattress, she reached for Riddick's pillow and held it tightly against her. Her eyes still closed, she concentrated on her sense of feel and smell. Riddick's scent was unlike any other.

As she lay there, she heard him shut off the shower and enter the room, then pulling on a pair of sweatpants. She opened her eyes when she felt him sit on the bed and watched as he too fell back into the mattress.

"Tired?" She asked, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Maybe." He replied, a smirk in his voice. "Would be if someone hadn't stolen my pillow."

"You weren't here to use it at the time, Richard, so it was momentarily abducted by me." She said in an authoritative voice, making Riddick turn to her and raise his eyebrow.

"Richard?"

"Yeah, you call me Jack, so I can call you Richard. Besides, can't really go around in the streets calling you Riddick, now can I?" She argued, moving the pillow from her face, but she still hugged it.

"Imp." Was his only reply as he tugged the pillow out of Jack's grip and slid it under his head only to be plopped on by Jack.

"Possible, but I look more human than that, don't you think?" She asked to no one in particular.

"Shut up and sleep, Jack."

"Of course, Richard. Dear." She joked, sliding off him and using him as her real pillow. Sighing as he commanded the lights off, she welcomed his comforting arm that tied her to him and the other hand that crept up into her hair as she lay resting her head on his chest.


	26. Chapter XXVI

**Thanks to:**

**tamekabu – gah, I'm sorry I did read your story but at the time my airport signal was bitchin' so I couldn't properly review**

**SueBe – whee! New reviewer! Glad you like it.**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed - ….wow. Thank you so much for reviewing constantly…at this rate I'll feel obliged to write you a personal story. **

**Chapter XXVI: All Expenses-Paid Trip to the Doors of Hell**

Liege woke early the next morning, only taking her blades and the clothes she wore. Outfitted in black cargo pants, a black wife-beater and her boots, she checked her knives once more before she slipped out of Imam's house.

Early morning workers were peddling about on the streets as she moved from shadow to shadow, which were slowly fading out due to the rising sun.

Soon she walked out into the open and immediately felt the familiar feeling of being watched. Whistling an old Irish tune, she turned the corner and stopped, knowing that tune would tell them of her acceptance.

To her surprise, she wasn't roughly grabbed and shoved to the floor, but McKellern appeared before her, his eyes still blazing. As they looked at each other, Liege felt a twinge of sympathy for him. She would get him out of this mess, if that was the only thing that could be done for him.

"Liege."

"McKellern. May I assume that ye won't be goin' after those who I stayed with 'ere?"

"Fine assumption. They be of no interest to us, just ye, ye little lassie." He replied, a smirk gracing his hard features.

"Take me away." She stated, and placed her arms behind her back, knowing she would be cuffed.

"Don't ye dare touch 'er, ye bastard. I be takin' care of 'er meself." McKellern commanded, taking her by the arm and leading her out of the alleyway.

They walked in silence, but a few glances were shared between them and suddenly Liege felt that not all was lost. Perhaps she had some hope yet.

They soon arrived at the transport docks, where they filed into the docks that private ships were held. Feeling his grip tighten as they approached the ship, Liege gave a small growl of resistance.

Waiting for the gangplank to be lowered, McKellern glanced at her one last time, knowing that in moments her fiery temper would be the end of her.

As they boarded the ship, the other men dispersed into different areas while she was led by her old friend to what seemed to be the captain's cabin.

Once inside, she missed the absence of McKellern and wondered who the hell was the captain. At the voice she heard, she felt her muscles ripple in hate.

"Top of the mornin' to ye, Liege."

The room was suddenly lit and she audibly growled at the man before her. It was clear to her that those men hadn't betrayed her father, but they lived to avenge him, for they wouldn't willingly work under this man.

He was the overlord of different systems altogether. Before her father had married her mother, he had been more a reckless leader, but had easily defeated this man that stood before her now.

"O'Calhern. Fer fuck's sake, why are ye here messin' in systems ye don't belong in?" Liege demanded, not the least bit afraid of him.

He stood and walked to her, where he kept his distance. He knew if word got back to her father that he had mistreated her, his inside hounds would be on him in seconds. But he didn't know that if he did it right then that loyal men on his ship would turn on him in seconds, all in a righteous fury and defense of their true overlord's daughter.

"When ye were younger, ye didn't 'ave such a dirty mouth." He taunted, watching her debate on how to kill him within the next few minutes. "Don't even think abou' it. We're taken ye to yer da, but there be a few…issues to get over first."

Liege's heart dropped at that phrase, because she knew nothing good would come of it. She suddenly hoped with everything she had that Riddick was keeping Jack in line and safe.

"And those be?" She asked, still sounding cocky.

"Well, as ye can imagine, when yer da was soundly beaten by me," Liege knew that wasn't true because her father had tabs on every single enemy he ever had. "'e never gave me the passwords 'n such to 'is accounts. Don't get me wrong, me clan has money, but we need this extra bit to start…a small revolution. It will become widespread and I will be a leader of leaders."

Liege spit directly in his face, knowing he couldn't hurt her. "Bastard, ye know tha' will never 'appen. Yer fuckin' crazy. Now let me see me da."

"Tuttut, lassie. There be more to it than that. Ye see, I come about this information tha' ye 'ave a good friend…whats'isname…oh yes, Riddick. And 'e be havin' quite the bounty on 'is head. Now, I follow the code 'n it says I can't be killin' young blood, like yerself. But, I can pick off yer da. So, ye give me the strategy of capturin' this Riddick, 'n yer da lives. Ye don't, yer da dies."

Liege was shaking in fury by now and was itching to simply forget her blades and to tear him apart with her bare hands. She knew he would bring Riddick into this, but he seemed he was going to try to force her to bring Jack into it too.

"How do I know me da isn't already dead?" She asked, keeping her voice even.

She was answered by a screen flicking to life behind O'Calhern and she swallowed a shriek of hate when she saw her father's beaten form lying on the floor of a dirty, windowless cell.

"Da?" She asked, approaching the screen but keeping a close watch on her new enemy. The figure in the screen moved slightly and lifted his head.

"Is tha' ye, Liege?" He asked, his voice barely above a scratch of a whisper.

"Da, why the 'ell did ye 'ave to go make such pussy enemies?" She joked, knowing it would help him. She was relieved when she heard his familiar chuckle.

"'m sorry, luv. The bastard told me of 'is plan, 'n is up to ye. My time is gone 'n yer the next heir of this 'ere family. So, is up to ye." His voice was stronger now and Liege was now back to being enraged at her father being treated like that.

Turning to O'Calhern, she snarled as he approached her. "How long do I have to decide?" She asked, silently unsheathing one of her blades.

"I'd say…nine nights. Sounds fair to me." He answered, stepping away again.

"Da, I'll make a decision…I promise, 'n it will be a good one." She turned to the screen where he watched her.

"I know ye will. Take care of yerself." And with that, the screen went black.

She turned to see the door open and McKellern walk in, making her sheath her knife. Somehow she knew she was safe if he was around. Accepting quietly muttered orders from O'Calhern, she was taken out of that cabin and led elsewhere to the ship.


	27. Chapter XXVII

**Brief notes:**

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed**

**NightmareWeaver –wheeeoooh, sorry I'm late on the updating.**

**FluidDegree – thanks for the constructive criticism, it really is helpful. This is my first jab at Pitch Black/Chronicles of Riddick fanfiction, so I'm still working with the characters and such. Thanks again. Hope you keep reading. **

**Chapter XXVII: Animal Quarrels and Comfort**

**Note: This is a very long chapter. Hence the one update. Well, long for me, anyway.**

Jack shifted, trying to snuggle closer to Riddick when she realized that there was no Riddick to snuggle against. Blinking rapidly, she sat up too quickly, resulting in a rush of blood, making her grumble.

Rubbing her eyes she tried to climb out of the bed, only to have herself entangled in the sheets, causing her to nearly fall to floor before she felt a familiar strong arm sneak around her waist and balance her, her nose mere centimeters from the hard floor.

She was pulled up and landed back into his chest, curling up against the warm body, she purred in contentedness, making Riddick's body work without order. Growling, he shifted her, forcing her to look up at him.

"Good morning to you too, Richard." She joked, pulling back and slipped underneath the still-warm sheets.

"Jack."

She knew immediately something was wrong when he used that tone and she suddenly looked at the wall, hoping to see through it and see Liege still sleeping.

"Yeah, Jack, she left."

"Did she…"

"If she did leave a note, you'd have to check yourself. Not my place." He grunted, standing up from the bed. She looked up at him, as if asking for help, but none was given.

Tripping out of the bed, she walked out of the room and straight into her room, biting her tongue when she saw the empty beds. Looking around for a note, or some sort of sign, she let out a shaky breath when she found nothing of the sort.

Quickly pulling on clothes, she slipped a shiv in the waistband of her pants and started to head out. Before she reached the stairs she felt the familiar aura of…her lover? She wasn't sure what he was now, but that wasn't the problem at hand. Pushing the thoughts aside she turned to be greeted by black goggles.

"Did I say you could leave?" He asked coldly, moreso than he meant to be, but he did not like the thought of Jack outside. Alone.

"Didn't ask your permission." She snapped and began to head down the stairs, not looking back. Jack ignored the feeling of him trailing her, even as she went through the door.

When she felt it once she out of the courtyard, a feeling hit her and she pushed it aside too. Halfway down the block, the guilt overwhelmed her. He was going outside to protect her in the broad daylight, where he could easily be spotted and thrown into a triple-max slam. Cursing, Jack swallowed her tears and angrily turned on her heel and headed back.

When she walked back into the dim coolness of Imam's house, only then did she feel the sudden loss of Liege. Clenching her teeth, she opened her eyes to see him waiting for her only a few feet away, goggles still on.

"Jack. Don't be stupid." He growled quietly, but as soon as he said that he smelled the guilt and sadness pouring from her. Frowning, he had her in his arms in two strides, not knowing what to expect. Yet, without fail, he was soon filled with two armfuls of crying Jack.

"Riddick, she's out there alone! They'll kill her!" The pain in her voice was more than he could bear and he silenced her with a kiss. Unwillingly, she melted into it and when they broke apart for air, she suddenly felt calmer.

She looked down at the floor as she felt his hands gently run up and down her back. Jack looked up in surprise when she felt a kiss deposited on her forehead.

"I don't want to have to do that again, are we clear?" Riddick instructed, adding a little amusement in his voice.

"Crystal, sir."

"Don't 'sir' me. No note?"

"None." She said, sighing as she pulled back from him, subconsciously wrapping her arms around her. One hand held the other at the elbow, while the free hand played with the silver ring that rested on her chest.

"We should wait, Riddick."

Of all the answers he expected, this was the last one. Jack? Patience? The two just never seemed to click with each other and he was surprised by her. 'Always am, always will be. Kid's full of surprises.' He thought.

"Liege won't leave us standing. She'll send us a message, signal, something. Besides, she'll need time to plan too. Maybe we can see Khan." Jack ventured, breaking her gaze from the open balcony window to watch Riddick.

"Khan?"

"Don't play dumb, Richard." Her old voice was back as she walked towards him, then past him as she began to walk up the stairs. "If we're going to make some sort of plan, let's do it somewhere comfy."

Without reply, Riddick followed her, wondering how he had become so obedient to Jack. Yet, the longing feeling of freedom still kept him in mental balance. Kicking off his shoes, he slipped into bed with Jack, letting her position herself on him, using him as her couch.

"You know who Khan is." She said, looking up into his goggled eyes.

He didn't reply but smirked as she glared at him. "You know who he is, and I think he can help us. And I'm sure you already know where he is hiding out right now."

"Perhaps."

"Richard B. Riddick. The things I put up with. Just to be with you." She scolded, scooting up so she was face to face with him. Leaning in as if she was going to kiss him, he readied himself for just that but was shocked when he felt the pull of his goggles then the sharp snap of them back onto his face.

Roaring, he lunged, going to grab Jack but she was already out of the room, laughing with her genuinely content feelings. Launching out of the bed, he easily caught up with her and pinned her hard up against a wall.

The laughter died in her throat as she saw the murderous expression on his face. Struggling, she realized he wasn't letting her go. Panicking, she swallowed her sudden wave of fear that was starting to drown her. This was all too familiar and Jack began to make small whimpering noises that grew into sounds of an animal being abused.

'Why wasn't he letting her go? What sort of punishment was this? He was her father, he shouldn't do this!' Were the thoughts that ran through her head as she continued to struggle.

_"Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. What did I tell you about hiding from Daddy?" The voice echoed in the dark apartment. A much smaller version of Jack crouched huddling the darkness of the closet. Then the darkness protected her, now it was a curse to her. _

_Trying not to make noise, she pulled herself into an even tighter human ball. Swallowing she closed her eyes tightly as she heard the heavy footsteps outside the closet. _

_"You know Daddy won't be pleased…Jackie." He added her name on, making her shiver. His voice was so sinister, so dark that he made the darkness curling around her the light of heaven. _

_"Sweet, little, innocent, Jackie. Come out and play, little Jack. She called you a child of God, but you're nothing more than the whore of the devil…you tempted him, and you tempt me, Jackie. Why won't you come out and play?" The voice continued to haunt her. _

_Hearing the footsteps still, she thought he had left the room when he violently flung up the closet door, making her shriek. Grabbing her roughly by the neck, he dragged her out of the closet pinned her up against the wall._

Riddick's wrath clouded his other senses and he didn't see the pain of memory whip through Jack's eyes as she continued to struggle. But the moment the blood-curdling scream erupted from her throat, he stepped back in surprise, letting her body fall to the floor.

Jack's eyes snapped open and she scrambled for the closest corner. Panting, she curled up into a small ball, trying desperately not to make noise.

When her surroundings came back to her, she realized she wasn't squirreled away in the corner of her old closet, her toes digging into the dirty carpet. She didn't hear her father's voice and she didn't feel the comfort of darkness.

Looking up she was met with the cold, yet confused stare of Riddick, who stood a few feet away from her. 'What the fuck was that?' He wondered, not being able to smell anything but intense fear.

So much had happened that morning, which caused Jack to over-think, to stress and end up digging up unwanted memories. Calming her breath, Riddick stepped a foot closer, now cautious around Jack.

"Jack…" he almost whispered, crouching down to her level. Sitting on the floor he laid his palms to the floor, showing that he meant no harm. He knew Jack had some animal in her, and if anyone could calm a wild beast, he could.

With a darting glance at Riddick, she tried to curl up even tighter when something inside of her realized he wasn't a threat. Uncurling, she slowly made her way towards him and in the last few inches she just pushed herself against him, causing him to lean back and hold her tightly to himself. He was not going to ask what had happened, and he guiltily knew he had gone too far. Yet holding her like this was what was best for her, gentle human contact, because from what he had just witnessed, Jack had been treated with anything but gentle human contact in her younger years.


	28. Chapter XXVIII

**Notes:**

**Thanks to:**

**mytaintedangel**

**tamekabu**

**Scouse – so good to have you back! And what a lovely long review. And this chapter just _happens_ to have Khan in it. Aren't you lucky? As for the action, well, the next few chapters will lead up to a battle of sorts, then there will be another one after that.**

**FluidDegree – I pleased the reading masses! Oh joyous day. What I'm trying to do is keep Riddick very unpredictable – like he will snap easy but it will all be fixed/revealed in the end.**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – update!**

**Other note: I love your reviews. Honestly, it makes my black little heart warm with joy. But, the next few chapters I've already written some time ago, so constructive reviews will be put to work in later chapters. After Chapter XXXII. Yes, it's a while away. But, I'll keep a constant update. Thanks again!**

**Chapter XXVIII: Liege's Time Kidnapped**

**Note – Another long chapter!**

Liege kicked the door again, furious at being locked up in this room. You'd think they'd have the decency to put her in a bedroom, but no, they locked her up in the cargo hold. With the freeze dried food, the liquor and god knew what else. With a sniff Liege suspected that there might even be a few decaying bodies in the hold.

McKellern even had the audacity to smirk at her as he led her into the dark room. Cursing for what must've been the hundredth time in the past five minutes, Liege deposited herself on a metal box, marked 'FRAGILE'.

She wanted to talk to McKellern, make him help her, make him understand what was going to happen if they harmed Jack. She didn't to see him or any of her other childhood friends-turned-gangsters killed at the hands of a vengeful Riddick. But she knew if they did anything to Jack, there would be no stopping him. Did she have feelings for McKellern? Maybe, but this wasn't the time or place to sort it out.

With a final snarl, she smashed her fist into the metal crate, cursing again when the pain bit her back as punishment. Rubbing her red and partially bloodied hand, Liege thought of what she could do. If she could trust McKellern, he could get a message out to Jack and Riddick.

He could also be completely loyal to O'Calhern, who in turn, would kill her father without second thought if he caught wind of a conspiracy. Scratching that idea, she hummed to herself as she thought of another plan.

A few minutes later a smirk was plastered across her face. That bastard O'Calhern was going to pay. She knew exactly what to do.

As Liege stood in front of the captain, she kept her face emotionless as he babbled on about his so-called "brilliant" plan. 'Brilliant my ass', she thought, watching him gesture wildly with his hands.

"So, lass, ye made yer decision yet?"

"No, O'Calhern," she spit the name with distaste. "But I would like to request the presence of a neutral ally."

"Oh?" He asked, stepping closer to her. She was quite sure he knew that she had knives on her, but it didn't seem to bother him. "'n who would this 'neutral ally' be?"

"Khan. The weapons dealer." She replied, never taking her eyes off his. She had to gauge his every reaction, so she could pass judgments on his thoughts and abilities.

"McKellern!" He called, not taking his eyes off of Lieges.

"Aye, captain?" The man came to his side, glancing at Liege who didn't spare him a breath.

"Go get this Khan, tell 'im Liege's situation. Now."

"Aye." McKellern replied, preparing to exit the ship. Liege took note of the noise sequence of the lock code to the key of the door.

Stepping back, her captor grinned widely and laughed. He turned his back to her and called for beer. If he wanted to get drunk, he could be at it the rest of the week.

Sighing, Liege fidgeted against her bonds, unhappy at being bound when drinks were about to go around. But she wasn't going to be allowed to take part in such joys, as she found herself in the cargo-hold once again.

Liege decided she wasn't going to stand for being bound like this. Leaning down she easily unsheathed a blade from her boot. Tossing it into the air with her hand, she heard the thunk of it as it lodged in the ceiling. Climbing atop the metal cargo, she stretched up and grabbed the hilt in her mouth. Giving a violent tug, it came loose and she had a good grip on it. Quickly falling into a sitting position, she maneuvered the blade so it was directly above the bonds.

'Bloody idiots, using rope.' She thought as she easily cut the bonds. Taking the blade from her mouth, she wiped the hilt on her shirt before she sheathed it again.

Now that she was temporairily free, she rubbed her wrists subconsciously, wondering what fun she could have. She had recognized the ship as one of the type her father used, so she was semi-familiar with it.

Descending deeper into the dark cargo-hold, Liege grinned when she found a pipe hanging overhead. Jumping, she wrapped her hands around it and swung her body up, wrapping her legs around the steel pipe. Pulling herself upright, she began to inch along the pipe, knowing it would led to a wall. A wall being her exit.

Finally finding the wall, she was pleased to see a grate where the pipe met the wall. She considered taking it out with her hands, when she decided it would make too much noise. Reaching behind her, she took out two titanium blades that she kept around for just these sort of things.

These were not for harming people, but for work. Jamming the strong blade between the grate and the wall, she took it out carefully, not making too much noise. She held the grate up with her feet as she sheathed the knives. Leaning forward, she hooked her fingers within the grate and silently set it down on a cargo box beneath her.

Looking into the darkness, she swallowed as she continued on her adventure on a pipe in the ship of her enemy. Liege cursed when she was met with some curves in the pipe, causing her to almost fall off. In complete darkness, she went much slower, not wanting to risk anything.

Suddenly she saw a light ahead, filtering up through a grate in what must've been a ceiling. Grinning, she moved towards it and pulled herself into a venting system. Looking down she couldn't believe her luck when she saw McKellern's head. Looking around, she almost swore when she saw Khan sitting on a nearby stool.

"Now ye listen, 'ere, merchant." She heard McKellern say, her eyes closing at the sound of his voice. Why did he do this? Why didn't he stay with her father?

"I have a name, Irishman, and you should use it." Khan said back, in a cold, yet even voice.

"Thas right, Liege called ye Khan. That be yer name then? Khan?" McKellern taunted, standing up and looking down at Khan, who sat there, emotionless. Yet inside he felt a whirlwind of turmoil – Liege was there? Was she hurt?

"Yes. No need to ask twice."

"Then if I be usin' yer name, ye should use mine. Names McKellern." He introduced himself, with a slight dip of his head. "Now yer supposed to stay 'ere til ole O'Calhern passes out. So I be warnin' ye, tha could take a long while, so get comfy. I'll be checkin' on ye every hour or so."

Khan thanked him and winced when he heard the door lock behind McKellern. Sighing, he moved to the bed and stretched out, wondering what was going to happen now. His fate was within the hands of these people so he had to play everything very carefully.

Knowing this was her chance, Liege silently took out the overhead grate and slowly let herself down from the vent. Khan had his eyes closed and she knew he couldn't hear her. Creeping up to him, she pulled a feather from the old worn pillow on the bed and poked it in his ear.

Snapping awake, he looked and almost shouted in alarm when he saw Liege's face. Soon he quieted and hugged her tightly, glad she was safe. Stepping back, he sat down on the bed again and gestured for her to sit on the stool.

As she sat, she knew she would be bombarded with questions and demands, so she mentally prepared herself. But to her surprise, she wasn't.

"Ye waitin' for somethin' Khan?" She asked, raising her eyebrow at him.

"Well, since your father is out of power, that means you are the heir. The new Reign. The new blood. So, as such, you begin conversations, you were raised to be this person, Liege." He explained, his hand gestures gentle and calming.

"Didn't think of that. Anyway, I need ye to get a message to Jack. Ye will be tellin' the lass tha' she can't come after me quite yet. I'll keep 'er updated with where I'm goin', but I'll be givin' ye the final coordinates so she'll know exactly where I'll be endin' up." Liege said, still adjusting to this sort of power.

"How do you know exactly where you will be?" He asked, suspicious yet he knew she must have a good answer.

"They might be bastards, but they will stick with tradition, tha' much I know." She muttered, looking towards the door. Liege hated being caged like this, unable to be near her father, unable to help her last living family member.

"I see. What is it that you wish Jack to know?"

"Just what I said, she can't come after me but she isn't out of the loop yet. 'n that she and Riddick are in danger. Riddick moreso, but she will be a prime target for these bastards. I know 'e will keep her out o' most trouble, but 'es _got _to keep a good eye on 'er now."

"Riddick?" Khan questioned.

Liege tightened her eyes and was overwhelmed in stupidity. He hadn't known Riddick was part of this, well, this was time to exercise her power.

"Aye, Riddick. The meanest, cruelest killer around. 'e and Jack 'ave something, 'n I intend to protect it. 'n as such, ye will take only direct orders from me, since I be the new blood. Ye let it slip at all that 'e is involved, I will slit ye from groin to throat, is tha' clear enough for ye, Khan?" She said, the power in her voice evident, she could wield her heritage as easily as she could wield her blades.

"I won't be betraying you, Liege. Your family has always been my number one customer and has treated me the best. I will follow your orders regardless of what you demand." Khan assured her, waving one hand in the air.

"Good. Now when we talk later, in front of O'Calhern 'n crew, I will be soundin' desperate and look nervous. Ye will play up to it 'n fight when they force ye to leave. We clear?"

"Crystal, Liege. Crystal." He replied, standing again when Liege stood from her sitting position. Holding her in a brief embrace he stepped back and rested his hand on her cheek. He was relieved when she didn't step away, he had always seen how wild Liege was and how she denied human contact.

"Thank ye, Khan. For everything." She said quietly.

"Stay safe, my friend." He said, rubbing one thumb over her cheek gently before he vaulted her up into the ventilation system.


	29. Chapter XXIX

**Notes:**

**Thanks to:  
SueBe – wheee hi again.**

**Scouse – you see, there's a little problem with that but you'll figure out and if the idea of Liege/Khan becomes super popular I might just…twist something**

**mrs. Skywalker – pleasure to have you on board again**

**FluidDegree – update! Yay! **

**Chapter XXIX: Damn you, Imam.**

Jack instantly replied to the lack of heat as she leeched herself onto Riddick as he tried to move. He had carried her to bed, intensely curious as to what made her tick. She would never believe it, but he knew she was very strong, so why did that affect her?

Growling softly, he leaned back into the mattress and held Jack close again, not wanting to have a repeat of what had just happened.

He knew Imam had been in the shadows of his study, watching the ongoings in his hall. Yet he had not made a move or said a word, which Riddick was grateful for. Imam must've realized the intensely close relationship between himself and Jack, seeing how comfortable they were around each other.

Subconsciously he took in a deep breath of Jack, savoring how she naturally smelled. He knew she would wake soon, but he had some time to think. What was Jack to him?

Immediately the idea of freedom clawed at him, but he caged it, going through the other possibilities first. Could Jack and his freedom work together? In one embodiment? He debated this, wondering if he could take her with him when he left New Mecca. Well, she wouldn't stand being left behind again, so he didn't think he had a choice on that aspect of his future life. But could he balance his freedom with her? He had to, because Jack was so important to him that in some cases, he realized, freedom had to become second priority.

Riddick felt determined to keep Jack with him, no matter what his inner beast commanded of him. He then realized, it wasn't that he was fighting against his inner beast, because they both felt the need to keep Jack. It was his strong need for freedom, one he had had since he was a child.

He could have Jack and she could share his freedom with him. Well, being chased by mercs 24/7, 365 days of the year wasn't the perfect idea of freedom, but he wasn't tied down to a singular planet or city. Feeling stronger with this new resolve, he looked down to see Jack move slightly, her long eye-lashes fluttering open.

She pretended not to notice how he tightened his grip on her when she looked up at him, as if he was set on securing her to him. Jack remembered instantly what had happened and looked down, her cheeks burning with shame.

"Jack," Riddick's voice rumbled deep into her, causing ripples in the pool of her mind and soul. "Care to tell Big, Bad Dark and Evil what happened?"

Her answer was muffled as she drew herself into him, not caring that her legs forced his to entwine with hers. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, wondering where all this patience originated from. Pulling off his goggles, he set them on the nightstand, knowing Jack felt better when they were off.

"Again, Jack. Didn't quite hear ya the first time."

"I had a flashback…not of H-G, but of why I was there. In the H-G crash. I had been hightailing it out of my city to get away from him." She was still looking down at his chest and gripped his arm tighter with her small hand, as if borrowing strength for what she was about to say.

"Well, my mom had been helping me. When he was just about to hurt me, she always came to the rescue, knocking him out. He never touched her, she was well…untouchable. I always had this silly idea that she was royalty and that's why he wouldn't touch her, but why would royalty marry a shit like him? Anyway, she was helping me escape, realizing that as I grew older, he would take more of a…sexual liking to me."

Jack was surprised at how easy this was coming to her, it had taken months to tell Liege that she had run away from her father in the first place. Snuggling deeper into Riddick, she was calmed by his warm breath over her head.

"When we were escaping the city, she promised she would escape with me. But that day we were at the airport, the transport was leaving in a few minutes and we began to board," her voice began to waver at the cruel memory. "We suddenly heard his unmistakable voice over the crowds and she pushed me ahead of her, making sure I was holding the ticket. Sure enough, he dragged her away from the transport, not believing that I was actually going to be on it, but that I had run away into a different part of the city. I got on the transport, that's where I met Shazza." Jack finished, her breath coming out in shaky pants as the screams of her mother faded in the background of her memory.

"That's my girl." Was all he said as he sat up, pulling her up with him. As she sat shivering in his lap, he wrapped his arms fully around her, burying his face in her neck. He nuzzled then licked at her pulse, feeling it slow under his tongue. A good sign, meant she trusted him completely if she relaxed under his touch.

He secretly rejoiced when he felt Jack's hands cautiously place themselves on his back, particularly on his spine, where they lightly traveled up and down. He shuddered as his nerves went on edge at the feeling, sending shorted signals to _every_ part of his body.

With the soft, silky skin right at his mouth, he felt an incredible urge to claim Jack. Riddick kept licking and nuzzling the area, and soon enough she pulled back and looked deep into the platinum pools.

"Am I what you want, Riddick?" she asked quietly, yet completely seriously.

He breathed out heavily, looking away from Jack's tender gaze. Suddenly everything clicked and he knew she was exactly what he wanted.

Holding her eyes again, he waited for a few minutes, knowing Jack would have the patience. Then, in his undeniably simple manner, he spoke the truth that had been confusing him for days now.

"You are my freedom. You are what I want and need." Riddick stated, his eyes glazed with hungry lust as Jack immediately leaned her head back, willingly exposing her neck to him.

Whether the beast made an appearance, neither would know. Riddick held Jack fast to his body, appreciating the curves of her perfectly feminine figure. Licking the spot once more, he sunk his teeth into the satiny skin.

He closed his eyes in pleasure when she arched against him at the pain, letting out a quiet, yet joyful mewling noise. The noise soon turned into a growl as he back away and she wanted more. Pushing him back to the bed, she attacked his mouth with an unrestrained fury. Her hands now in the form of claws, she tore his shirt from his body without any qualms to what happened to the piece of offending cloth.

She pulled back and purposely sat on his hips, causing him to groan. Balancing on his left hand, he wiped the blood from the wound on Jack's neck. Riddick's eyes closed in ecstasy when Jack took his hand in hers and sucked and licked her blood from his fingers. She memorized his hand with her tongue, spurred on by how he massaged her hip with his free hand as he feel back into the mattress.

"Jack! Riddick!" Imam's voice called in the hallway, startling Jack, making her bite Riddick's hand. Kissing it quickly, she backed off his body and hastily retied her hair. Riddick cursed at the holy man's horrible timing and swore at his aroused state.

A cold shower would be in order.

Jack walked to the door, opening it and looking outside into Imam's face. She growled quietly, raising an eyebrow at his intrusion.

"Forgive me, but there was a message dropped off for you and I believed you would like to have seen it." He said quickly, curious if Riddick was raging behind the door.

"Can I _have_ it then?" Jack asked, holding out her hand.

"Of course." Imam replied, giving her the envelope. He hurried back to his study, cautious of the feelings that the inside of Riddick's room were giving off.

Jack slammed the door, making Riddick wince.

"Christ, Jack, remember I've got sensitive hearing." He grumbled, still sitting on the bed.

"And I've got sensitive feelings towards having a perfectly good sexual-relief session being ruined." She snarled back, ripping the side of the envelope.

Riddick smirked as Jack threw the paper cover in his face. Unfolding the letter, she rubbed the back of her neck, not wanting to step back into the reality of her best friend being willingly taken from her.

Reviewing the information, Jack knew it was indirectly from Liege and was relieved to know that she was still alive and kicking. Tossing the letter to Riddick, she sat heavily back on the bed and waited for him to finish.

As she held her head in her hands, she looked to the side and watched how he held the letter in his hands. From the media one would think he could be anything but gentle. Yet Jack knew he was gentle, especially his hands. Suddenly she frowned, looking at the handwriting in the letter.

_"Thank you." Khan said, looking over the ring Jack had handed to him to price for her._

_"For what?" Jack asked, observing how critically Liege was watching Khan's every move. Not only that but every move of the market. She was impressed how Liege watched the reflections of other people in the shining trinkets that moved in the wind. They tinkled from their high hanging in Khan's colourful stall._

_"For buying this."_

_"'e means givin' 'im money Jack, thas all this merchant cares about." Liege explained, glancing back to the silver ring. "Never 'as changed, 'n I doubt 'e ever will."_

_"Come now, Liege! You know me better than that!" Khan exclaimed, looking for a chain for the ring. Selecting a few, he laid them out in front of Jack to look at._

_"'course I do, ye money-obsessed bastard." Liege muttered, guessing which one Jack would pick. She was right, of course. A simple chain, yet very strong. It wasn't too short or too long but was perfect for the purpose._

_"Speaking of money, Liege, you should pay him." Jack interrupted, earning a glare from her friend and a grin from Khan. _

_"The little girl is right, tis time to pay." He agreed, enjoying how Liege grumbled as she took out a credit chip. Tossing it to Khan, she saw how carefully Jack threaded the chain through the ring._

_He wrote a few lines of some message onto the receipt, which he handed to Liege. Glancing at it, she shoved it in her pocket and nodded. _

_Later that evening, Liege was in the shower and Jack was sitting on her bed looking at the ring. Could it really be his? Just then the memory of the slip of paper came up again and Jack became intensely curious._

_Ignoring the "curiosity killed the cat" phrase that was running through her head, she found Liege's pants on one of the piles of clothes on the floor, that had been so kindly dubbed "Liege's Mountain Range of Cloth." Finding the paper, she took it out and was disappointed to find it in another language. The letters were in the English characters, but not the style she knew. _

_Putting it back, she went back to her bed where she feel asleep, protected from her nightmares by the thought of Riddick nearby._

Growling, Jack took the letter from his hands, ignoring his sounds of protests. She willingly accepted when he pulled her back into his chest and nuzzled her neck.

As she read the letter again, a free hand traveled up and rested on the smooth scalp of Riddick, gently tickling it. Turning to kiss his cheek, she was impressed on how far the relationship had come.

"What is it" He asked, never one for patience.

"Khan is part of this, I recognize the handwriting. So that must mean Khan has had some sort of contact with Liege. If we could just…"

"Careful, Jack. This will take planning. And a whole lot of it." He warned.

"Then get planning, sex god." She said, smacking his leg. Raising his eyebrow at her nickname of him, she laughed and kissed his nose. Annoyed and slightly confused at this strange affection, he began to let his inner planner take over.


	30. Chapter XXX

**Notes: Sorry for you all you Liege/Khan fans, but things might change in the future. No fear.**

**Extra happy thing: So this is chapter XXX (or for other Vin Diesel fans, xXx) and quick story – my friend goes to the same school that Vin Diesel's niece goes to and this past week he was sighted at the school. Just thought I'd throw that out.**

**Chapter XXX: Love and Loyalty of Liege**

Liege was glad to see that Khan played his part well, even going above and beyond duty when he knocked out one of the more sober guards. She sat in an actual room, McKellern's, to be exact. She desperately wanted to talk to him, to tell him everything, to be with him. She knew this was dangerous and stupid, that he could be doing this just to fool her.

She sincerely hoped not. Sitting on his bed with her legs crossed, she awaited his return. Liege would be comforted just by his physical presence if nothing else.

Becoming impatient, she began to slid two blades together, causing a very screechy, shrill and blindingly painful noise. Sure enough, this got the attention of the crew as Liege grinned when she saw McKellern thrown into his room, yelled at to shut her up.

"Ye stupid bitch, was just about to get some booze." He grumbled, grateful that she had stopped.

"Yer the stupid one." She retaliated, watching as he approached her. Sitting next to her he laid back, so his legs still hung over the edge but he was relaxed on the mattress otherwise.

"Thas what ye want to think." He said quietly, turning his head to look at Liege, who was still sitting. She copied his form and turned to face him, not alarmed at the closeness of their heads.

"Ye know tha' ten years ago we would be in firm denial of us in this sort of position." She stated, watching as his thoughtful look turned into a perverse grin.

"But ye obviously want it."

"Perhaps I do. What I want is for ye to explain why the 'ell ye abandoned me da." She snarled, pinning him to the bed instantly, her blade at his throat.

"Shut the fuck up." He said, leaning up against the blade, as if tempting her to cut his throat. "Ye da wanted me to go to look after ye, not become part of this crew."

"And how am I goin' to believe tha?" She asked, backing up off him.

He didn't reply but removed his neck from her blade, which was now a few inches away from his throat. Rubbing it, as if he had been strangled, he grumbled something.

"Didn' catch tha', luv." She irritably snapped.

"Cause I love ye." He said louder, turning away so as not to see her easily-predicted rejection. Instead he was met with a sudden embrace, full of the need for safety and protection.

"Missed ye, ye stupid bastard." She said, muffled in his chest, which heaved with relief.

"Same 'ere, luv." He returned, petting her hair. They fell back to the mattress where Liege cuddled up to McKellern, yet as her hand rest on his stomach, she was still armed with a blade. Old habits die hard.

"So how did all of this happen? Wheres da?" Liege asked, trying not to fall into the comforting embrace of Kell.

"Yer da is safe, I made sure of tha'. When ye make yer decision, or whenver what 'appens, we're takin' ye straight to yer da, promise." He said, looking down at the now-grown girl who he had a crush on since he could remember.

"But how did all this shit 'appen anyway?" She asked, fingering his shirt with a free finger that wasn't gripped around her knife.

"There were rumors tha' yer da was failin' in power 'n in profits, which was untrue, before O'Calhern fucked everything up, yer da was at the top of the league. 'e was makin' profits tha' could topple economies of a' least fifteen different systems. So O'Calhern planned n bought 'is secrets from betrayers, who are now top bitches in O'Calhern's gang. So, wha' happened was that one night tha' bastard attacked yer da's compound." He stopped when he felt Liege stiffen at the mention of an attack. Breathing deeply, he knew she would calm at the sound of his heartbeat. Sure enough, seconds later, she relaxed again. Rubbing her head on his shoulder as if to signal him to start again, she swallowed quietly.

"So, course ye da's compound was well guarded, like it always is. I was top in security, but I wasn't makin' rounds outside, so I was actually talkin' to yer da when the attack started. O'Calhern would've decimated the compound if it hadn't been for yer pack of vicious dogs." Liege smiled at this, she had raised at least twenty dogs on the compound, training them as defense dogs. "Course since ye left they bred 'n taught themselves to fight, so when O'Calhern 'n his men came round, they burst from the territory round the compound 'n ripped 'em apart. None were lost, luv."

"Thas good to hear. So how was da overturned?"

"I 'ate to say this, but O'Calhern threatened to kill ye, he showed us a live feed of ye in school and 'e said there were men standin' by to shoot ye down if commanded to. 'n yer da was furious, but 'e instantly gave up. 'e's a good da." Kell ended, his arm falling to the bed as Liege sat up besides him, her hand still on his stomach but the blade was abandoned.

"It was a lie, I 'ad everything checked out a' me school, I would've known if there were bastards trackin' me." She said quietly, sheathing the blade. "Is my fault, then."

Kell sat up and gently took Liege's chin in his hand and tilted her head towards him. Looking straight in her eyes he spoke honestly, hoping she would agree with him.

"Don't ye say tha', Liege. It isn't yer fault, yer da loves ye and didn't want to take any chances of ye bein' hurt. I was shocked when I watched tha' feed, I hadn't seen ye in years, 'n the first thing I thought of when I saw ye was, 'Tha' lass is strong, stronger than any man I know.' 'n is true, so don't go blamin' yerself know, ye hear?" He finished, relieved to feel her nod slightly in his hand.

As he began to remove his hand, he was startled at the sudden movement of Liege gripping his hand with both of hers. Silence prevailed as she held his curled hand to her lips and kissed the scarred knuckles. She remembered how Kell always got into fights, never backing down.

As her grip loosened, he slipped his hand from hers to the back of her neck where he pulled her forward and kissed her full on the lips. Liege draped her legs over his, straddling him while sitting. His hand wove into her hair and his thumb rubbed over the lock of hair above and behind her ear. As the kiss deepened, he slowly lay back, letting his hands wander further down her spine.

Breaking apart, Kell was struck full of lust as he saw her flushed face and felt her panting breaths against him. She looked down at him and closed her eyes, trying to regain control of her breathing pattern.

She slipped off him and snuggled against his side, holding him tightly to her. He felt joyful and content at her immediate acceptance of his approach as he snaked an arm around her waist and tugged her closer to him. Whispering 'lights off' to the room, the pair was safely resting in darkness.


	31. Chapter XXXI

**Thanks to:  
BabyKat – loved your story**

**mysterio – thanks! Yeah there seems to be competing Kell/Liege and Khan/Liege**

**FluidDegree – good to have you as a constant reviewer**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – thanks again, you rock.**

**Chapter XXXI: Confusion of Animal Instinct**

"Got it, Jack." His tired, gravelly voice echoed off of the study walls. He stood over a desk, with his fisted hands balancing him. His goggles were hanging out of the waistband, reflecting the dim light Jack had to use to write random notes and pieces of information they could use.

"Knew you would." She replied, her voice weak and exhausted considering her brain was completely drained of all coherent thought at this point.

Standing up from the couch, the blanket draped around her, she shuffled over to him. The moment she came into arms reach, he gently pulled her into an embrace from behind.

"Good god, Jack." He almost moaned with the closeness of their bodies. Inhaling every part of her he could, he was awakened by the shudder of Jack's body. "You smell amazing."

"As do you," she replied, leaning her head back on his shoulder, her left hand reached up and pulled his head closer to hers. Smelling his neck, she stretched her neck and lightly licked his ear. "But your plan?"

"Alright. I figure that could storm wherever she is in hiding. This of course will take insiders, a source of weaponry and a quick mind. Actually, more then one. We'll storm it, take over, yet relate back to the base that the leader is still alive. When we get to wherever we're supposed to go, we'll overturn that as well."

"It took you all that time to think of that?" Jack asked, raising her eyebrow. She was shushed by gentle nip on her neck.

"Don't be fresh with me. I was fine-tuning it. So, how can you contribute to this?" He growled, not liking Jack's attitude. It could get one of them killed if she was so confident.

"Easy. Khan will serve as a messenger _and _weapons source. Liege can take of the insiders, but we'll need outside forces, too. I got that covered. Falc, Rick and me can take out any outside guards. Rick and I are better at close-combat, Falc can take a hidden step out and take down anyone else who could be a threat." She said, nodding at her own idea.

"Back up, kid." He snarled, ignoring her face at being called 'kid'. "How the fuck are you good at close-combat? You went to boarding school, not boot camp."

"I…" she hissed when he roughly grabbed her and spun her around and she was pinned between the desk and him. Looking up at him, her eyes narrowed. "First, you're going to treat me as an equal through this. Second, boarding school has hierarchy and you fight to survive. Third, it's none of your business as to how me, Liege, Falc and Rick know anything about combat."

Jack cried out in pain when Riddick seized her wrists and crushed them in his vice grip. She was suddenly afraid, this was the killer people were terrified of. Then she felt stupid for thinking he would be someone different around her, he was always that cold, calculating murderer.

"Shut the fuck up. I'm making it my business. Now fucking tell me." His cold voice pierced her mind like sharp icicles.

She struggled for a moment, only squeezing her eyes tight shut when he tightened his grip on her wrists. Why was he hurting her like this? Jack desperately tried to focus on the reality, not the nightmares she was prone to slip into.

"NOW JACK!" He roared at her, causing her to cringe back at the volume. Riddick was all animal now, the tiger-like roar put out the fire in her body. She was whimpering like an abused dog. She wasn't sure as to why she wasn't telling him, but the defiant streak shone brighter than anything else.

Jack cursed when she was suddenly thrown across the room, hitting the floor and sliding straight into a wall. Blacking out, the last thing she saw was a pair of black boots stalk out of the study, the wooden door slamming behind them.

Snarling at the sudden thunderstorm that burst in her head, Jack sat up stiffly, wondering how she had fallen asleep in that position.

'Falling asleep my ass,' she thought, snorting as she remembered what had happened. Balancing against the wall, she pulled herself up and realized she hadn't been knocked out too long. It was still night.

Shaking her head, the harsh pounding was numbed slightly, so she ventured forward, only to fall to the floor again. Cursing herself for her weakness, she refused to get up with the help of the nearby desk.

During this she never noticed the dark shadow that loomed off on the balcony. The silver eyes leaked small droplets of mercury, reflecting in the platinum pools. They were roughly wiped off when Jack gave a short yell of desperate frustration.

Breathing heavily, she wondered how a bang on the head could induce all of this. Forcing herself up again she wondered if she had hit a nerve center that shorted out the rest of her muscles. Hoping she hadn't, and if she did that it would fade soon, Jack grunted as she found unknown energy to shove herself up off the cold floor.

Congratulating herself silently on her newfound ability to stand, although she was swaying a bit, Jack waited until her breathing evened out. The headache was fading, her eyesight wasn't fuzzy and she took a step forward.

Though as she took a second step, she collapsed again, gravity pulling her harder than anything she had ever experienced. Giving up, she rolled onto her back and didn't stop the tears that silently streamed down the sides of her eyes.

"He'll never take me with him…I'm way too weak to even go outside. Shit, I'm stuck alone forever. Well, I've got Liege, Falc and Rick…though Falc and Rick sure as fucking hell aren't Riddick…" she said to herself, looking at the soft lights overhead that didn't hurt her already weakening eyesight.

In the smooth charcoal shadows, Riddick clenched his jaw, furious with how he made Jack feel. He had only wanted to know why she could fight, had she been in danger at boarding school? Imam had said it was safe, but he wasn't too sure now.

Jack had quieted and her breathing was still unsure, signaling she was still awake. Moving forward he stood at the end of Jack where her feet twitched once in a while. Feeling another presence, she cracked open her eyes to see him standing in front of her.

"Sorry, Riddick." She said clearly, keeping direct eye contact with him. Jack barely moved as he sat down, using her energy to crane her head up to see what he was doing.

"Shh, Jack." He whispered back, gently taking her legs and spreading them so he could pull them around his waist. At this point Jack struggled to sit up and wasn't strong enough to protest his help.

Yet at his warm hands spanning her back and moving her forward up his legs, she couldn't help but relax. He wasn't going to hurt her. Or yell at her.

When she finally sat on his lap, her legs circled around him, Jack looked down into apologetic shined eyes. She tensed briefly when he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her chest.

Stroking his head, Jack's hardened resolve to be angry with Riddick melted away as his warm breath smoothed over her chest with every breath he took. Growling, he pulled back and looked up to see forgiving eyes that was accompanied by a tired sigh.

"What I did was unforgivable. I hurt you." He said quietly, wanting Jack to understand. "There is the excuse I was worried as to how and why you were any good in combat…I fucked up royally, Jack."

"It's true that you were simply worried. And I should've told you. I'm starting to think that being this defiant isn't good for either of our health." She replied, smirking. "Liege and a pretty large group of guys had a paint-ball game that went on during the year. We snuck out around 1 or 2 in the morning and played until dawn. Course we played it on days we didn't have classes, but all the same, we were cautious about it. Liege was really well-versed in all sorts of strategies, so I picked up a lot from her. We always won, actually."

"Paint-ball?" Riddick asked, amused.

"Yes, paint-ball." She snapped back, flicking his ear with her nails.

Without any sign of it happening, both leaned in for a deep kiss that resulted with Jack back on the floor, being mapped out by Riddick's hands and tongue.

"So," Riddick said between licks and gentle bites, "the plan."

"I think-" Jack hitched as Riddick's hand slipped under her shirt and up her back. "-it's fine."

"Good." He finished the conversation, deciding to talk about it later. The matter on hand was far too important to be distracted.

In a feline growl, Jack softly commanded the lights off, knowing he would prefer darkness to any sort of light. As Riddick became more adventurous, Jack arched up into his dark touch that blended perfectly with the surrounding darkness.

As clothing was slowly removed, soft whispers of caresses drove each of them mad with lust. In her heightened state of sensations, Jack shivered violently as a desert breeze slipped between her and the fiery body of Riddick. The warmth was soon found again as both bodies melted into one another. The night wore on and Riddick noted how well Jack's moans mixed with the howling wind of the dark night.


	32. Chapter XXXII

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – yeah don't we all?**

**FluidDegree – guilt has to play a part somewhere**

**blondevor – glad you like it, it will appear later too!**

**BabyKat – I like keeping him unpredictable and prone to anger swings. **

**Chapter XXXII: Anger Management, maybe?**

Liege shifted to find herself in the warm embrace of Kell, who protectively held her against him. Closing her eyes, she experienced a brief moment of bliss, hoping she could have the rest of her life this way, waking up in Kell's arms.

She turned around in his embrace and nuzzled beneath his chin, gently waking him up. Smiling at his gruff morning voice that voiced lengthy complaints about being woken up, she silenced him with a short, but sweet kiss.

With the noise stopped, he dragged a hand down his face then raked it through his messy red hair. His glittering blue eyes sparkled down at her.

"I must be dreamin'. Liege? In me bed?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of her face.

"This is reality, luv." She replied softly, pressing up against him and purring deeply, making sure the vibrations got through his body. Liege almost crowed in delight when she felt herself being wrapped up in his strong arms.

"Chroist, Liege, what the 'ell am I goin' to tell O'Calhern?" He muttered, speaking into her hair.

"Tell 'em to go fuck 'imself, thas what." She gruffed in reply, wishing that they were actually in Imam's house, not some rebellious overlord's ship that he stole.

"I 'ave, many times. So, ye got a plan?" He asked, pulling back from her and sitting up, causing her to stretch out over his lap.

"Er, aye I do. I suppose."

"'n what does 'suppose' mean?"

"Well, ye see, 'm waitin' for me friends to come up with one first, then see wha' 'appens." She reaffirmed, trying not to grin at Kell's raised eyebrow.

"Great plan, Liege."

"Oh shut it, Kell, at least it is one." She snapped, swatting his head, which he easily ducked. He pinned her to the bed and was going to tickle her when he was roughly pulled down into a searing kiss that he was sure only Liege could give.

As the gesture deepened, Liege had no idea where this was going, she never thought she would see Kell again. Threading her fingers through his short hair she tried to pull him even closer. She wasn't sure if was more a desperate need or a real desire, but she continued nonetheless.

Both were heaving, their lungs clawing for oxygen, as if they had just drowned in each other's passions. Kell got off the bed and ran his hand through his hair again while Liege sat up, hoping her lips weren't too swollen.

"Kell, 'm goin' to save da. 'n 'm going to save ye too." She suddenly said, making him whip around and coldly judge her with his bright eyes.

Her golden copper ones shone right back at him, and she was sad to see the doubt, fear and apprehension that clouded the normally clear eyes.

"Yer da's more important then me, get 'im first, I can take care of meself." He growled, walking out the door and locking it behind him.

She snarled at his sudden departure and decided it was time to become a little more familiar with the ship. Not caring about how much noise she might make, she pulled herself up into the ventilation system again and hoped she could find some sort of food along the way.

Liege snorted when she dropped down into the kitchen. Somehow it didn't surprise her how many beer cans and bottles were left around the room. She doubted that they might even have any real food as she rooted through the cabinets.

Kneeling on the counter she began to just throw things out of the cabinets and carelessly let them drop to the floor behind her.

"Empty beer can, empty beer can, empty beer can, receipt for shipments of beer, beer can, beer can…" she began to growl at the lack of food.

"Find anything?" a voice spoke from behind and she swore, taking the beer can in her hand and throwing it with a direct hit on the persons head.

"Oh chroist! Kell, 'm sorry!" she said quickly, slipping off the counter and walking over to him where he was leaned over, rubbing his head.

"Is fine, Liege, just next time-" he was cut short as her knee made a solid crack with his face. "YE FUCKIN' BITCH!" He roared, lunging at her and she easily stepped to the side.

"Yeah, next time before more careful as to what ye say, ye fuckin' bastard." She mocked, laughing as he slipped on an empty beer can, causing him to fall flat on the floor.

Stalking out of the room, she ignored his angry shouts. Turning down what seemed to be a main hallway, she sighed in relief as the noise from the kitchen faded into the background hum of the ship.

Silently approaching the deck, she saw O'Calherns back facing her along with a few other men, who she didn't recognize. 'Well, those will be the first to go.' Liege thought, taking a deep breath of air.

"O'CALHERN!" she yelled, causing him and the surrounding men to jump. Breathing unevenly, he turned and glared at Liege who glared right back at him. "I want to talk to me da."

"Ye didn't 'ave to shout." He countered, walking over to her.

"Aye, I think I did. An old man like yerself wouldn't be able to 'ear me otherwise. 'm surprised ye can still walk." She taunted, making him bare his teeth in annoyance.

"If ye weren't old power, I'd be 'avin' me wicked way with ye right now, ye stupid whore." He threatened, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I'll be tellin' me da ye said that." She replied, not the least bit worried by O'Calhern's threat. "Tha' 'n how badly ye've treated me."

"Ye can't scare me, ye little lassie." He said, smirking as he crossed his arms over his chest. She was internally infuriated by his lack of respect but she knew she couldn't expect anything more from him.

"Just wait, O'Calhern," she hissed, spitting his name like it was bile. "Ye will get yer due, and trust me, ye will regret ever gettin' near me family."

He startled at the controlled ferocity in her voice and briefly wondered if such a thing could happen. Shaking it out of his head, he gave the signal to patch through a network to her father.

'Doubt. This is a very good thing.' Liege thought as she saw the betraying emotion flicker across O'Calherns face. 'Just makes it that much easier to put 'im back in 'is place.'

She put aside these thoughts as her father appeared on the screen. He looked a little better than previously, but she still felt a pang of worry at his haggard face.

"Da I-"

"O'Calhern, I order ye to leave the room immediately. 'n take yer henchmen with ye." His voice ordered, making Liege relax, her da was still there inside that weakened man she saw chained in a dark room.

"Ye can't-"

"Leave or is yer prick slammed down yer throat in the mornin'." Liege snarled, putting a blade directly at O'Calherns hip level.

Swallowing deeply, he nodded weakly and he and the other men left quickly. Liege smirked and resheathed her blade, glad that she had that advantage over the men.

"A little cruel, don't ye think?" Her father asked, making her redirect her vision towards him. "But ye got the job done, so ye 'ave a plan?"

"Aye, tha' I do." She said, switching to Gaelic. Their family was the last remaining Irish one that still spoke Gaelic. An ancient language it was nearly impossible to translate unless one was completely fluent in it.

"And what would it be?" He asked, switching to their natural language.

"'m going to kill O'Calhern 'n take over. Me allies will help with tha', 'n then we'll come home 'n reflip the power. Easy."

"Yer still a young lass, Liege. How do ye think yer goin' to kill 'im?" He shook his head, making her face fall. This wasn't how she hoped he was going to respond to this.

"In combat. Me friends will rescue me 'n durin' the fight I'll corner the bastard 'n kill 'im. Simple." She answered, her eyebrows twitching as she heard the clashing movement of chains behind him.

"I don't think I can do anything to stop ye, so good luck." He replied, seemingly the old tired-out leader that he was the first time she talked to him.

"Da, I will get ye out. 'n I will restore honor to our family. 'm goin' to die tryin'." She swore, making him close his eyes in sadness and fear.

"I can't loose ye and yer mum in such an honorable death, Liege." He said quietly, not looking at the screen.

"Ye said she died from an epidemic, da." Liege instantly replied, wondering if he would reveal any more information from the past of her mother. She had been told shortly after she was born, her mother had disappeared for a short while. Then, after she returned, she was struck down by a disease that kept mutating, making it impossible to cure.

"She did, Liege. But if ye both died it would be in the process of protectin' someone or something." He explained quietly, still not looking at his daughters face.

"Da, 'm not plannin' on dyin'. 'sides, I need to keep Kell alive." She was surprised when her father jerked his head up at the mention of Kell.

"Has he told ye…"

"Aye, he has. 'n…er…well…" Liege faltered, knowing she should tell her father about the closeness of her relationship with Kell, but not entirely sure how to go about doing it.

"Spit it out, lass." He growled, annoyed at her lack of ability to talk.

"Short version?"

"Aye."

"Plan on him bein' yer son-in-law soon." Liege said quickly, hoping that would be enough to clue him in. She smiled at his face that turned into confusion, thought then realization.

"Yer not with child, are ye?" He asked dead serious. That would complicate everything.

"No!" Liege defensively yelled. "We 'aven't even…" she gestured vaguely with her hands and her father raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Good. I'll be talkin' to 'im when ye get back then." He stated, his voice in full majesty, as if protecting his daughter, the princess of the universe. "How is he now?"

"In the med bay, I'd imagine."

"Pardon?"

"'e pissed me off, so I roughed 'im up a bit. Might be a broken nose, but I don't think I hit 'im square on." She explained thoughtfully, wondering just how beat up Kell was. She really did like him, but she wasn't going to stand for being talked down to.

"Liege, I know we're Irish, but ye've _got _to control tha' temper." He warned, sounding like a normal father, instead of a father who was an overlord of a huge family of organized crime.

"'e deserve it, da. 'e really did. 'ad it comin' to him from systems away. He'll be fine, no worries. Ye goin' to be alright?" She changed the subject, glad to even be able to talk to her father.

"Fine, now I believe yer pissin' off O'Calhern, so I'll be waitin' for ye to break me out of 'ere." His voice was full of humor, just how she wanted to hear it.

"Course I will. O'CALHERN GET YER LAZY ARSE IN 'ERE!" she shouted, switching back to English. Smirking and waving as the startled leader began to cut the connection, she felt happy when her father winked at her.


	33. Chapter XXXIII

**Chapter XXXIII: The Aftermath**

Riddick shifted as he felt feather-like touches across his chest. Cursing for sleeping so deeply he looked down to see it was Jack's eyelashes that were the feathery sensations. Appreciative of the amazing view, he decided to enjoy it as much as possible before the little beastling woke up. She really was terrible in the mornings.

At some point, he had carried her to their bed, amused by the fancy sheets that Jack must've made the bed with. Quickly slipping in after her put her in, he wrapped himself around her, wanting to feel all of her.

His eyes traveled, and he tried not to make a noisy intake of air as he saw how the satin sheets pooled around her hips, just showing enough to make his inner beast wake up. Her hair was mussed and her parted lips made his throat go dry.

'Why does she have this sort of…seductive…power?' Riddick asked to himself as he drew back to get a better view, only to have Jack whimper as the loss of heat.

Smirking he watched as her eyes slowly opened, blinking rapidly and then narrow on his arrogant form, he smiled at her.

"Mornin, Jack." He growled deeply, making her smile back and trace her fingers down his chest. He covered her smaller hand with his large one and brought hers up to his mouth where he began to tenderly lick her fingers.

She replied with a quiet moan and moved closer to him, realizing he was on the edge of the bed. Keeping her eyes trained on his, she lowered her hand and pressed her lips against his, filled with an unnamed elation as he gently responded, pushing her to the pillows and pinned beneath him.

When they broke apart he sat up, instantly turned on by how Jack was at his mercy, held down by his legs yet she wasn't afraid. She had her arms arched around her head, her hair spread over the pillow, even silkier than the cloth. Her tongue slipped out to slowly test her bruised lips and she kept eye contact with him, her dragon eyes glinting in the morning sun.

As he took note of the shadows beneath her breasts, he didn't miss how Jack observed him. It wasn't a critical judgment stare, like the ones he was used to, but a simply curious and wondering look. Riddick decided right then and there that he was the luckiest man alive.

He moved down and off Jack and simply laid as close as he could to her without being directly on top of her. He could tell she was surprised by this move, and even tensed when he nestled his head between her neck and shoulder.

Jack relaxed soon enough and pulled Riddick's arm over her stomach and interlaced her fingers with his, feeling endless amounts of security by just being so close to him.

Thoughts of pushing him off the bed abandoned, she kissed his head and pulled him closer. They laid like this for quite a few minutes until there were audible sounds of an argument going on downstairs.

Riddick was up in seconds, pulling on clothes so fast that Jack didn't even see him naked. Following him, she was out the door five minutes later, braiding her hair quickly as she walked down the hallway.

"Out of my house, merchant!" Imam shouted, pointing towards the door.

"No! I must speak with Jack!" The merchant shouted back, knowing that a life depended on this. "You must let me speak with her!"

"No! Not under my roof! You will-"

"Are you Khan?" Riddick's gravelly voice came from the entryway, closing it behind him, preventing escape from the main route.

"Yes, I am." He replied, not terrified yet still respectful of this man.

"What do you want with Jack?" He growled, making Jack back up the stairs, knowing that is where Riddick would want her to be.

"That is the lady's business alone. Where is she?" Khan said coldly, following orders. His body was shining with the sweat from the walk in the early morning sun. The scars glinted in the morning light and his usual jovial face was hardened into stone.

"You think I'm going to tell you?" Riddick snarled, stepping forward. He knew why Khan was here, but he was being a bit too arrogant.

"I will not fight you." Khan stated, crossing his muscled arms over his chest.

"You will if you keep-"

"Riddick! That's enough." Jack called, coming down the stairs. He quickly moved to her side, not letting anyone near her. Especially not Khan.

As Khan slowly approached Jack, Riddick growled in natural defense. He was surprised when he felt her gentle hand apply pressure to his arm, as if to tell him it was ok. Understanding this, he stood to full height instead of battle position and waited for the scene to start.

"Ah yes, Jack. You still wear that ring." Khan said, motioning his hand towards her chest. "I bring an offer of partnership in this battle you are about to wage."

"We don't-" Riddick was cut off by Jack.

"Thank you, Khan. We will be needing ammunition of sorts. I've already thought of two people who can help us. Is Liege alright?" Jack asked, keeping perfectly calm.

"Fine, as usual. She and this man McKellern are quite close, though." He noted, a flash of distaste and annoyance crossed his face, noticed by both Jack and Riddick.

"Wait, how did you know we were going to try to attack O'Calhern's ship?" Jack quickly asked, instantly suspicious of this knowledge.

"I met with Liege more than once and she predicted it. She was always good at such things. Now I am here to help. You say you have people that can help?" Khan asked, feeling slightly more relaxed at Jack's smile.

"Yes, and including you, that would make a team of five people." She said, slipping her hand into Riddick's suddenly relieved to feel him grip it gently.

"Not nearly enough. I can contact old loyals to her father to help us. Liege would be happier fighting with people she fought with as a younger girl." Khan commented, shivering slightly as the cool breeze cooled his drying skin.

"Fine, but they're under my control." Riddick growled, his arm slipping around Jack's waist.

"You mean our control, Riddick." Jack corrected, not leaving any room for argument. He twitched at this, wondering where and when Jack became a little more demanding.

"Just like Liege, it is clear you have spent a lot of time with her." Khan said, smiling. "They will be glad to know she is alive and well."

"When can you have that done?" Jack asked, hoping they weren't running out of time.

"As soon as possible, there are always a few strays in close systems and we only have six days. So I hope you can bring your allies as well?" Khan said seriously, suddenly doubting if they could pull this off. They had to, he wouldn't leave Liege in the hands of O'Calhern.

"Six days?" Jack shouted, pulling away from Riddick. "How do you know?"

"Liege told me that O'Calhern gave her nine days to make her decision. It is a tough one, but if we pull this off, she won't have to." He replied, suddenly depressed. It was indeed one of the hardest decisions of her life if she was forced to make it.

"What do you mean?" Riddick asked him.

"O'Calhern kept unbelievably secret tabs on Liege. It was figured out that you were in relation to her. And Jack to you, as well. They told her that if she doesn't give up the strategy for capturing you, they will kill her father. And she knows fully well that there is only one strategy." Khan ended, feeling that Riddick would know.

"Jack."

She looked at him sharply when her name was mentioned and soon she too realized what he meant. Closing her eyes she growled fiercely, furious that Liege would be forced into something so horrible.

"Yes, it is her. That is why she wanted you to keep an extra eye on Jack. They are close, this I know. If it ever succeeded and Jack was caught, well Jack isn't of Irish blood, so they would treat her horribly."

"You would know." Riddick softly said, alarming Khan immediately.

"Don't worry, Khan, we'll figure this out. We will storm the ship and we save Liege. She's saved my ass dozens of times so it's high time I return the favor." Jack said, completely determined to succeed.

"I hope you are right, child. Now the sun it high and it is time for the day to begin. Khan, you will keep in touch?" Imam asked, silent up until this point.

"Of course. Good day to all of you." Khan said as a farewell, dipping his head briefly before he turned and walked out the door.

Jack sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. Deciding she was going to contact Falc and Rick, she turned to go upstairs. Riddick didn't follow her, still caught up in his own thoughts.

Opening the door to their room, Jack was nearly drowned in memories at the sight of all of Liege's belongings. Moving to her desk, she quickly turned on her com.

Dialing in a code, she waited for it to connect. Sitting down she played with her braid, hoping she could reach both of them. It was imperative that she did.

"Jack? Is that you?" She heard Rick's deep baritone over the speaker and looked at the screen. Shirtless, he looked exhausted.

"Yeah, it is. I need to pull in a favor."


	34. Chapter XXXIV

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – hmm, jealousy brews**

**BabyKat – It's fun and a helluva long chapter**

**NightmareWeaver – good to have you back on board! Yep. Cookies! Cookie was my first word, not that _anyone_ needed to know that. Enjoy.**

**Chapter XXXIV: Don't Cage An Irishwoman**

"Ye stupid lass, ye couldn't hit anything with a red target painted on it." A crewmember taunted as she tried to find edible food again. He wasn't familiar to her, so she didn't really take notice of him.

"Oy, lassie, want to warm me bed? Eh? Can't refuse an offer like this!" He said comically, opening his arms wide as if to welcome her into his…embrace, if one could call it that.

"Just shut the fuck up." Liege snarled, smiling as she caught the glint of her steel-toed boots in the dim, partially broken light of the fridge.

"Yeah and how do ye plan on makin' me shut up?" He taunted, crossing his arms over his chest. Smirking, he barely took notice of her infuriated expression.

"Ye shit, get yer nasty arse to the storeroom 'n I'll beat it into ye." She ordered, walking towards him.

The bastard was still smirking and she stopped short, slipping a hand behind her back. Smiling sweetly, she fingered her favourite blade that was nestled against her back.

Her smile turned into a mocking grin as she withdrew the knife and tossed it with a sharp flick of her wrist, lodging it directly between his legs and not a centimeter too high.

The crewmember paled and froze up, not wanting to move an inch. Stepping closer to him, she ordered him to dislodge the blade. As he handed it to her, she held it and watched as he still stood completely tensed.

"Move." Liege ordered.

He didn't even budge.

Seconds later he was curled in a fetal position on the floor, moaning loudly. Curses soon followed as he swore he was seeing spots.

Cleaning her steel-toed boot on his pants, she viciously kicked him, satisfied at the deafening crunch and crack of ribs that came after.

"I'll be seein' ye in the storeroom at some point." Liege threatened, stalking out of the kitchen, cold beer in hand. Hated the stuff, but for times like these, well hell, she had to celebrate somehow.

Slowly walking down the hallways, she wondered why she was given almost complete free reign of the ship. Tapping on the walls with her nails, Liege sighed, wishing Jack could rescue her sooner. Small ships made her feel even more caged.

Snapping the can of beer open, Liege took a sip as she reviewed the control room. Not much, but enough to get through the systems, give slight defense and the advantage of being a fast ship.

Trailing her hands over the keys, toggles, buttons and screens, Liege wished she remembered how to work a ship. She could if forced to, but lord knows she would seriously mess up somewhere along the line.

Taking another sip, she hissed at the taste but still took note of O'Calhern, who had just slipped into the room. Closing her eyes, she wished it was her father.

"Nice ship, O'Calhern." She complimented, turning around to face him. He looked normal, if you could call a madman like him normal. Perhaps slightly drunk, he was still as sharp as the blades she carried with her.

"Thank ye, Liege. Made any progress with tha' decision of yers?" He asked, checking his nails.

"No." She replied shortly, taking a knife and wedging it between the lip of the can and the can itself. Rounding the blade, she took off the top of can.

"Nice trick." He stated, watching the weapon move gracefully in her hands, as she had been playing with them since the moment she was born. "So, ye got six days."

"Well aware." She replied, still short. Liege was in no mood to deal with O'Calhern. "Thanks for the beer."

"Any time."

"But I don't like it. Nasty taste."

"Ye think?" He asked, wondering why she was so amiable and easy to talk to. Should've known.

"Yeah I do. Want it?" She offered, walking forward and resheathing her knife in another mystery spot on her body. Nodding he moved his hand forward to take it.

Puling her arm back she jerked it forward, splashing out all the beer onto O'Calhern. Smirking she threw the can over her shoulder, where it landed on the control panel.

The remaining sip of beer leaked out onto the panel and it was too late to prevent anything from happening. It soon fizzled and popped, destroying some part of it.

"Damn, didn't mean to do that. Promise. 'n don't give me tha' stare, ye said ye wanted the damn beer." Liege argued in a sarcastically optimistic voice.

"Get out of 'ere, ye bitch." He snarled, not liking the feel of his hair being washed by beer. His favourite beer, nonetheless.

"As ye wish." She bowed and quietly moved out of the room. Stopping at the door she leaned her head in to talk to him. "By the way, you might want to check the kitchen."


	35. Chapter XXXV

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed**

**tamekabu – hey again, good to see you reviewing again.**

**Note: This is the most recent thing I have and I'm working on the future battle scene and it's taking a long-ass time, please be patient! That and I purposely made this long, so please cherish it.**

**Chapter XXXV: Meet The Convict, Kids.**

Riddick prowled in the evening shadows of Imam's house as Jack patiently waited for Rick and Falc to arrive. Things were beginning to brew and soon enough, once the team was assembled, the time would begin to tick.

Neither had been able to spend time with each other after their real first night. Now that both were intimately bonded with one another, they felt the need to be close, regardless of the time or place.

"Please Riddick, you're making me nervous." Jack said quietly, not ordering like he would have expected, but almost pleading.

He immediately stopped and approached Jack. Pulling her back to the stairs, he sat on a higher step and seated Jack beneath him. Pulling her unbraided hair to one side, he began to gently massage her shoulders.

Making appreciative noises, Jack leaned her head on his knee, rubbing into it like a content cat. As the tension loosened under his deft fingers, Jack's breathing evened out. Slipping down a stair he pulled her up into his lap, holding her against him.

Reaching her hand up the side of his face, Jack made him face her directly. Without words, both leaned into a short, yet passionate kiss.

As they broke, Riddick briefly thought of the idea that Jack could get hurt. Shaking it away, he tugged her closer to him. Oddly enough, Jack thought the same thing.

"Riddick?" She asked, her head tucked beneath his chin.

"Yeah, what's up, Jack?" He replied, carding his fingers through her hair.

"Please take care of yourself in this storming of the ship. I know you're superhuman and all that, but you're still mortal. Don't get hurt." She said, glad she wasn't looking directly at him.

"And you too, I can't be watching your ass the entire time." He looked up seconds after a third voice interrupted.

"Yeah but we will." Rick's arrogant drawl drifted into the entry hall. Jack leapt out of Riddick's hold and went to greet her friends.

"Rick! Falc!" She exclaimed, hugging them both. Riddick had stood up and walked to where they were standing.

"Good evening, sir." Falc greeted Riddick, with a respectful nod.

Riddick smirked then burst out laughing. A genuine smile graced his face as he stared down the young man that had just greeted him.

"No one's called me 'sir', before, kid. No need to start now. What's your name?" Riddick asked, still smiling.

"Falc. And this annoying 5-year old would be Rick." He introduced himself and Rick, who was raking Jack's form with his eyes.

Growling, Riddick pulled Jack against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. Rick instantly got it and backed off. Falc smiled, glad to have someone put Rick in his place. He was the worst person to travel with.

"Yo, Jack. What's going down?" Rick asked, toeing his stuff into the house. Falc picked up his few bags and placed them inside, snorting at Rick's lazy method.

"Long story. Want something to eat or drink?" Jack offered, pulling away from Riddick but still holding onto his hand.

"Yeah I'm starving. Stupid motherfucker here wouldn't give me any of his food!" Rick said, motioning towards Falc.

"Now I know where you got your bad language." Riddick commented, walking with Jack towards the kitchen. Falc and Rick followed at a respectful distance, both wary of Riddick.

Jack immediately set to work in the kitchen, finding food for sandwiches and putting it together. She was just done making the sandwiches, then put them into the toaster oven Imam bought from an antique market. She smiled to see the three of them sitting around the kitchen table. Rick and Riddick were having something akin to a glaring contest while Falc was simply observing the room.

Falc had changed his hair since they last saw each other and now it hung to his shoulders, dyed bright silver. His blue eyes looked sharp and attentive as they fell onto Jack. She smiled at him, making him nod in return. He was never one for words. His pale skin almost glowed sometimes, making everything even more mysterious.

As she opened the fridge to look for something to drink for all of them, Jack growled at the lack of liquids whatsoever. Standing up and closing the fridge, she looked at Rick, who had lost miserably at the staring contest.

Rick, short for Ricardo, had naturally tanned skin, dark eyes and almost black hair. He said he was pure-blood Italian, giving him a very light accent, not nearly as noticeable as Liege's. He wasn't as tall as Falc, who was taller than Riddick, and shorter than Riddick as well.

"Alright, kids, there's nothing to drink so I need to go out and get something. Any preferences?" Jack asked, sounding a little more then pissed at the fact there wasn't anything at all the drink.

"Wine."

"Beer."

"Water is fine, thank you Jack."

Jack rolled her eyes as she started to turn and head out the door. Go figure Rick would want wine, Riddick would want beer and Falc would be the most simple. Just water.

"Jack." Riddick's deep voice rumbled behind her. He had twisted around in his seat to look at her.

"I can go out by myself." Jack said, a cold edge in her voice.

"No. You can't." He growled back. She shouldn't be this stubborn all the time.

"Jack, I will accompany you if you would like it. I would feel at ease if I knew you weren't alone." Falc said quietly, standing and pushing his chair in.

"Alright, thanks Falc. Let's go. I want to find both of you alive when we get back." Jack commanded, pointing at both Riddick and Rick.

They left the house, leaving Riddick and Rick alone. The silence became comfortable, almost as if they had known each other for a while.

"'I would feel at ease' my ass. Falc's had a thing for her since she stepped into that damn building. All gentleman-like. Won't get you shit in this day and age." Rick commented, sounding a little angry and jealous.

"Someone's got to be the good guy. 'sides, Jack is mine. And I don't think that has to made clear." Riddick replied, amused at this younger man's thoughts.

"Didn't say she wasn't." He replied, not missing a beat.

"Good. Keep it that way. Jack tells me you're an arrogant bastard and you're living up to it pretty well. Is it true, playboy?" Riddick questioned, leaning back in his chair. He could be just as sarcastic and heartless.

"Yeah, I've slept with most of the girls in school. In different grades, too. But, they love me, what can I say? My sexy charm…" he trailed off, smoothing his hair back with one hand. "No, Jack stayed untouched. Liege made sure of that. Christ, that Irishwoman wouldn't let a male get within five feet of her."

"The way it should be." Riddick growled back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you want." Rick said carelessly, glancing at the famous convict who sat across from him.

"So what do you know about Liege?" Riddick asked, eyeing the toasting sandwiches. He was hungry…for both sandwiches and Jack. But Jack was out, so sandwiches would do.

"Liege? Damn, that bitch holds so much power at school. No one messes with her, she can walk down any hallway without fear. Sorta like a Robin Hood, she defends the weaker ones. But when she picked up Jack, she was looking for a strong companion. They hit it off instantly and Jack told me how relieved she was to be on Liege's side." Rick stopped to take a breath and glance at Riddick.

"Continue."

"Liege…she was always very serious about survival. She never talks about her past, never. I think someone in her family must've died…considering the way she fiercely protects herself and anyone. That and she hates being talked down to, or anyone else she likes for that matter. It was usually her, Jack, me and Falc. We hung out together and the three of us kept a careful eye on Jack. This one time…shit…" he trailed off, falling into memories.

"What?" Riddick pushed, he wanted to know.

"Well, one day after classes…"

_Jack closed the door of her room behind her, making sure it locked. Liege was inside taking a shower and would flip if someone besides her came in. _

_Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her jeans and shirt and walked down the hallway. She was going to head to dinner early to meet up with Rick and Falc and Liege would meet them there. _

_As Jack walked out the door of her dorm, she was immediately met with catcalls and wolf whistles, which she was accustomed to by now. With a snort of annoyance, she hooked her thumbs into the pockets of her jeans and continued walking towards the dining hall._

_She felt a few people following her, but she wasn't worried. Nothing could happen on campus grounds, or so she thought. _

_"Hey, babe, feeling lonely?" One guy shouted. _

_"Aw, c'mon, just a little fun sweet thing." Another called, his friends laughing behind him. _

_Jack picked up the pace, not responding to those jerks. When she heard them break into a run, she cursed and started to sprint. But go figure these guys were on the track team. _

_They easily overtook her and one roughly grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. Wincing she jumped up only to feel a heavy object being smashed against the back of her head. _

_Shaking it off she thoughtlessly ran up to one of the guys, coming with a swift hook. Cursing he swung at her, but she ducked and spun, bringing her foot directly to his stomach. He still didn't fall but he was groaning in pain now. _

_The guys had formed a circle around her now, jeering or cheering. He held one arm against his stomach and he lunged forward, swinging with the other. Jack easily backed away and holding the back of his head, brought her knee straight up to his face, feeling the crack of his nose against her. _

_This should've put him out of the fight, but he still continued, blindly swinging and yelling at her. She knew that this was the leader of the group that had followed her, so if she took him out, she would either be a) respected and left alone or b) beaten to a pulp by the vengeful friends of his. _

_Concentrating, Jack circled the now completely degraded leader. Feeling more like predator than prey, she leapt at him and while in the air, kicked him twice in the face before pushing him back with her feet. He fell hard onto the ground and she perched on him, still standing on his chest. _

_She watched as he tried to form a sentence, but he started blinking and soon his head fell limp to the side. Bending down, she felt his pulse and was relieved to still have it pumping. Imam would be upset if she had killed a fellow schoolmate. _

_Suddenly she was surrounded by all the other vengeful friends and was glad to see the body of the other guy dragged away. 'So much for plan 'a', Jack thought as they angrily glared at her._

_Just when they were about to go in for the kill, a furious voice shouted across the courtyard. Their faces paled as a wrathful Liege stormed through them. _

_"YE FUCKIN' BASTARDS FUCKIN' BACK OFF! YE FUCKIN' SHITS! HOW DARE YE GO NEAR HER!" Liege roared. She was in full fury now, her cooper eyes shining almost golden. Her red hair resembled a sort of mane of flames as she turned and snarled at the other guys, who backed off immediately. _

_"Where is yer leader?" She demanded, anger tightly restrained in her cold voice._

_Silence met her so she grabbed the nearest guy by the collar and threw him to the ground. In seconds her steel-toed boot was pushing down on his neck and her other foot was holding down his crotch, making him emit painful, strangled cries._

_"WHERE IS HE!" She shouted at him as he clawed at her boots. _

_She loosened the pressure and let him take in deep breathes of air. Nodding he tried to sit up, only to be pushed down by her boot on his chest. _

_"Jack…got 'im. He's passed out somewhere, I don't know, his body was taken away." His voice regained strength as he continued to talk._

_"Fine job, Jack, me lass." Liege complimented, without even looking at her. "Who be yer second in command and is 'e present?"_

_"Yes, I'm here." A tall young man stepped into the circle, stopping just two feet away from Liege and the guy she pinned to the ground. "Let him go."_

_With a final kick/shove at his crotch and windpipe, Liege let him scramble up and fall back into the crowd where he disappeared. _

_"I be puttin' this group 'ere out of power. Ye be at the bottom now. 'n if ANY of ye even get near Jack, I will kill ye. 'n I don't ever 'ave regrets, so don't push it." Liege ordered, ignoring the fallen faces. _

_"But, when he wakes-"_

_"Tell 'im 'e can talk to me." Liege finished, grabbing Jack's wrist and pulling her through the crowd. Soon that too dispersed and Jack was relieved to have Liege as a friend, comrade and ally. _

"So Jack's well-off with Liege around." Riddick noted, impressed at the detail of Jack's fight. Always was a survivor. Never the inferior or defeated.

"Yeah, she is. Hey, speak of the devil." Rick said lightly as Jack walked in with Falc in tow. He insisted on carrying the bags and Jack got out glasses and checked the sandwiches.

"Ready!" She exclaimed, shooing Falc to sit d own.

She put the sandwiches onto plates and bought a glass with each plate. As she approached with the first plate she put it down in the center and both Riddick and Rick reached for it.

With a quiet growl and glare, Rick figured the next sandwich would be just as good. Soon they were eating away and Rick filled her in on the happenings and gossip since she had left. Not that there was much to tell.

As Jack got up to put the dishes in the sink, Falc immediately rose and did it for her and she let him without protest. As she returned, Riddick reached out and pulled her into his lap.

"So, Jack, do they know the plan?" Riddick asked her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Jack knew he wasn't taking well to the other competing male forces in the room.

"No, but I typed up a brief for them." She replied, reaching into her back pocket and taking out two folded slips of paper. She handed one to each and let them read.

Jack snuggled back into Riddick, resting her head on his shoulder. She decided she would convince him tonight that she belonged to him completely and didn't even think about looking at any other guys. Kissing his neck she closed her eyes and wished that Liege was doing alright.


	36. Chapter XXXVI

**So long since the last update and you have my complete and humble apologies. I went up to my summer house last Saturday and stupidly enough, forgot my beloved laptop (and saving base for this story). But! Long free hours in which to complete the story are now here! Yay!**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – yeah Rick's a downright bastard.**

**Snowgurl54 – yay!**

**tamekabu – perhaps, perhaps.**

**BabyKat – don't we all love a possessive Riddick?**

**FluidDegree – oooh! Intrigue, yes, perhaps. But one never knows…**

**And the long-awaited Chapter XXXVI**

**Chapter XXXVI: **

With that crewmember in the med bay, Liege wondered if she could take out the entire crew by that method. Hoping she wouldn't, she hoped Jack would hurry her ass up. She was getting antsy with anticipation of a fight. Only two days were left and Liege almost began to doubt her rescue.

"Liege!" A voice cut through the air, making her head turn. Kell came towards her, limping a little, probably because of his slip on the beer cans.

She felt guilty. She had never felt guilty about beating guys up, even ones she had had a relationship with. So why did seeing Kell like this close her throat and pull on her heart?

"McKellern. Your room?" She asked, trying not to look so familiar with him in the public areas of the ship.

He nodded, gripping her shoulder and steering her towards his room. Liege sat on the bed as he turned and closed his door behind him, locking it. Looking at her, she felt the guilt slap her again and she looked away.

"Liege." His voice was softer now, a gentle Irish tiger purr. He approached her and sat on the bed next to her. His legs hanging over the edge with hers, knocking into hers as he positioned himself. "'m not angry now."

"Why did ye say it?" she asked, leaning her forehead on his shoulder.

"Yer da is more important. I wasn't lyin', Liege." He explained, lifting her head and looking deep into her eyes. "I know yer technically the new power, but ye da is still alive. Don't forget tha'."

"Just tryin' to prepare in case…" she trailed off, not protesting when Kell pulled her into his lap, kissing her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to block the tears. Soon enough it was proven that Liege too was human.

"Ready?" Riddick asked, looking back on the small team that was assembled behind him.

Jack was at his side, Falc and Rick behind them. The rest of team was made up of the old loyal fighters of Liege and her family. Khan backed them up, ending the line. It was a group of ten people, all ready to fight to the death.

It was dusk when they set out from Imam's house. Using the back route, they avoided all main streets to the port. Quiet, the only noise heard was the shuffling of boots. Riddick held up his hand, signaling a stop.

Every one of his senses felt Jack who was standing next to him. He swore she wouldn't be out of his sight during the fight. No one would get near Jack, not if he could help it. She was armed with shivs, with an antique handgun strapped to her thigh.

Rick and Falc were alert with rifles and they too had smaller hand guns with them. Riddick was amused to see that the fighters for Liege were carrying a stick at most. They preferred to fight hand to hand and considering their brawn, they could do it no problem. Khan was carrying his scimitar, with a few other weapons hidden in his robe-like clothes.

The last rays of light gave them light to the paths that would be hard to see in the dark of night. When he felt that it was safe to move again he swiped his hand down and the pack was moving again.

Riddick smirked. That's exactly what it was. He and Jack were the alphas, Rick and Falc were the betas, the Irish fighters (or the Guinness boys, as Jack called them) made up the rest of the pack and Khan was the omega. Sure Khan wasn't low down and beaten up but he just sort of held support to the rest of the pack.

Before he realized what happened they were a mere twenty feet from the ship. Holding his hand up again, he didn't need to see that there was the practiced, well-oiled machine that stopped in an almost army-formation. Tapping Jack's bare hip with his shiv, she nodded in return.

Forming her lips into a strange shape she sounded a complex group of high-pitched whistles. High enough to be heard through the thick walls of any ship.

Liege jerked her head up from Kell's shoulder, swearing to herself she heard Jack's call. Breathing deeply she closed her eyes to listen harder and she heard it again, sharply through the metal walls.

"Kell, please listen." She stood and looked down at him, holding his hands tightly in hers. "My plan? Is about to happen. Please, stay near me and ye'll be safe. Give me a weapon."

"Liege…" he almost sounded like he was warning her. Either that or trying to treat her like she had just gone crazy and he wouldn't want to snap anything in her.

He was going to protest again and stood up to do so but was silenced by a deep kiss. His hands weaved into her hair, turned on by her growl and moan mix that vibrated through his body as she rubbed her body up against his.

Pulling away, Liege looked well-mussed and grinned cheekily, making Kell smile. Gripping onto one of her hands, he walked out of the room, making sure she was close behind.

Both felt the adrenaline pumping as they quietly ran down the hallways toward the artillery storage. Their boots made close to no noise as their wearers swiftly moved, passing by open doorways completely unnoticed. When they reached the door, Kell opened it with his key as if all were normal, not wanting to become too hyped.

Letting her in, she ordered a dim light on, just bright enough so she could see what sort of weapons she could use. Sure she had her knives, but she would need firearms of sorts to take out more people. Looking through she found the more antique section of the store of weapons.

"Kell, ye got to arm yerself." She hissed, not looking at him but still looking at the weapons. Finding a case of handguns, she opened and decided on carrying three handguns.

"What are ye usin'?" Kell asked, seeing as Liege checked for ammo then took extra, slipping it into the deep pockets of her pants, also strapping one within the waistband of her pants for easy access.

"Beretta 92 FS. Personal favourite." She replied, checking for all weapons. Finding they were strapped in she was relieved to see Kell holding a few weapons of his own.

"Are ye goin' to try to round up some old loyals?" Kell asked, taking in the vibes of absolute battle anticipation that flowed off of Liege.

"No, and ye won't either. Is there is way to get out of the ship 'sides the usual entrance exit?" Liege asked, ordering the lights off.

"Aye, through the hull, follow me." Kell walked forward, deeper into the storage room. He knew his way around by feel, so light wasn't needed.

Pushing boxes out of the way, he revealed a door that led into the bowels of the ship. Walking in, Liege was faced with a jungle of tubing and piping. There was dim light here, so Liege had no trouble following Kell's movement. Finally they landed on floor again and Kell waited for Liege to silently drop down from a pipe.

They walked forward and soon Kell and Liege were at the bottom edge of the ship. Feeling the wall, Kell found the crevices he was looking for and began to work.

Riddick wanted to go, but Jack held him back, telling him to wait. He didn't know why they should and he could tell that Rick and Falc were getting really impatient as well. Looking back, he was pleased to see all were in a readied stance. Glancing at Jack he wasn't surprised to see her determined glare at the hull of the ship.

Suddenly his sharp hearing picked up a scratching noise from the wall of the ship and he pulled Jack behind him, his hand tightly holding her arm. She knew she shouldn't get so close to him pre-fighting, but she rested her forehead on his back anyway. Her nerves were on edge and he was the only one who could calm her.

Swallowing, Jack peeked around the large muscled arm of her lover to see a square of metal was being dislodged from the wall of the ship. Curious she furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what the hell was happening.

It was soon removed and a very rugged looking Irishman dropped down, his eyes darting around the hanger. He obviously felt the presence of others but he couldn't find them. Standing, he smiled as a pair of legs hung from the dark square. Reaching up, his hands gripped the waist of someone and gently put them down the ground.

Jack almost yelled when she saw Liege's relieved face appear from the ship. She felt Riddick's large hand lock on her waist and tightly squeeze, telling her that she must be insane if she thought about moving. Responding by touch, Jack lightly placed her hand on his back, as if saying 'yeah, I'm hearing you'.

Liege's bright gold eyes were flashing with bronze as they glanced around the dock area, immediately resting on the area that Jack, Riddick and everyone else in their small army was hiding. Jack dug her nails into Riddick's back, now annoyed at being held back, but she bit back a growl when he tightened his grip, making it now painful.

She knew he thought it could be a trap for them, but they would have time before the main door of the ship could be properly let down and have O'Calhern's men come out. Mentally sighing, she decided to wait and let Liege come to them. She undoubtedly would, too.


	37. Chapter XXXVII

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – you guilt tripped me. I probably won't update for at least two/three days now. But, the battle scene. Hope you approve. **

**Chapter XXXVII: An Animal's Masterpiece of Art**

Liege didn't need to see if Kell was following her as she moved across the concrete dock floor with a cat-like grace, her eyes glinting with pre-battle arousal. Her ears twitched slightly and she heard Kell's boots stop behind her. Blinking, she inhaled deeply and smelled Riddick, Jack, Rick, Falc and the unmistakable incense-permeated scent of Khan. That and a few others, filling Liege with a sudden feeling of home.

'Loyal fighters Khan was connected to.' She thought, crouching and motioning Kell to do the same. Feeling his body heat in the same patterns as hers, she walked a few steps forward, looking more animalistic than usual.

Liege whistled quietly, waiting for Jack to return it. She knew Jack was there, but she needed confirmation to seek her out. Whistling again, she started to feel edgy. Riddick probably thought it was a trap so he wouldn't let Jack reply.

"For fuckin' chroists sake, Jack, I fuckin' know yer there 'n I _also_ can tell ye this ain't a trap." Liege suddenly yelled across the docking bay, shocking everyone.

Standing up, she began to walk straight towards where they were hiding. She immediately sensed the tense feelings from the area, especially from Rick and Falc.

"Ah, screw it." Jack said and tore away from Riddick's grip and ran out to greet Liege and the man she was with.

Riddick clenched his jaw; he just had an instinctive feeling that this wasn't safe. Something bad was going to happen and he didn't know how and it was this that completely unnerved him. How could he protect Jack if he didn't know what to defend her from?

"Jack!" Liege exclaimed, drawing her friend into a tight embrace, glad to be near her again. They held each other for a few seconds before Liege broke away and turned to introduce Kell. Out of the corner of her eye she barely saw the dark figure dart from the hull.

Liege felt time freeze as the figure sharply rapped his machine gun on the unloading main door of the ship. She knew there was a readied group of armed men, waiting to capture her and Jack.

As soon as she heard the first shot from Kell, she snapped and savagely shoved Jack back towards the shadowy hiding spot, where Riddick caught her. Taking out her hand guns she wasted no time in backing Kell and opening fire on the men jumping down from the boarding plank that wasn't even touching the ground yet.

She barely noticed the presence of Riddick, who swept past them, wanting to directly take out the armed men. Breathing she glanced upwards to see Rick and Falc had taken elevated positions on a nearby ship and were easily knocking off attackers.

As the fight continued, Riddick had trouble watching Jack, who flitted like a hummingbird among the heavily muscled attackers, taking each out with surprising efficiency.

The picture painted was created in mediums of blood, pain and death. Scarlet blood arcs decorated the darkening orange sky as Jack and Riddick moved effortlessly through the attackers. Cries of hate were echoes of once strong war cries that both sides sang before the life liquid began to spill.

Riddick paid no notice to the blood that ran in small rivulets down his muscled body, gathering briefly in small pool created by his collar bone, only to splash out as he emotionlessly took his next victim. It was no adrenaline or body-made energy that brought out the animal in Riddick this time. It was only the pure and raw need to fight on behalf of his mate and protect her. Yet he knew Jack was watched by Liege and others and that she could take care of herself. Regardless, she was at his side and the beast clawed its way through him and slipped through his shivs, showing the animalistic power that flowed in him. Riddick's blades became the talons of the beast and his body the embodiment of a seemingly ancient primal force.

Jack was not simply a smaller form of this. She was a hunter, her body well versed in taking lives quickly of any form of existence. It wouldn't seem strange that if she were angry, she would enjoy drawing out the death of her victim. But in this case, she was fighting to defend. It didn't matter if it was a person or cause, Jack performed with her best. There was no pause between kills; it was not even second nature for her to kill in this moment. After each man fell, it was clear that whatever she kept under wraps within her was now the one and the same as Jack. Whether it was with shivs or handgun, nothing interrupted the confident majesty of her continued kills.

When the once dull gray concrete ground was slick with blood, breaths were taken, highs were lost and kills were counted. Riddick closed his eyes, feeling the complete sense of freedom in that quick moment when his beast had finished appearing in all its fierce glory. In that moment it was as if the beast had disappeared completely and his entire being was entirely at rest. Jack was cleaning her blades with Liege, quiet to respect the dead.

With everything in perspective, Jack and Liege were crouched far off from the bloody carpet that spread beneath the ship. Riddick was standing in the midst of it, still recovering. Khan stood closer to the ramp, cleaning his scimitar on a dead man's clothes. McKellern stood in the shadows of the ship, for he had done his fair share of fighting, but he had seen the fear and deep sorrow in the faces of men who thought he was on the same side as they. Rick and Falc were walking towards the violent scene, guns in hand. The loyal fighters stood quiet and dejected towards the edge, feeling the deep losses of previous comrades.

Liege walked into the pools that lapped at her feet, staining the steel a deep crimson. Jack still stood behind and was now watching Riddick, who was making his way towards her. Rick and Falc now stood respectfully near Khan, all three with their heads bowed.

"Let us remember these men not as those beaten into submission by a hated enemy, but as loyal fighters who stood in honor of my family. They were not inhuman or heartless. I saw guilt and betrayal in their dying eyes. I felt the unmistakable emotion of hatred. It is clear they hated what they had done, what they were forced to be doing. Yet, in the middle of this disheartening battle of power, let it be known that we have given these unforgettable men peace. We can have solace knowing the humans who lie at our feet lie in serene and untroubled rest." Liege finished, her voice unwavering and strong, yet not lilted by her heavy accent.

Khan nodded in agreement, he had known these men as well. He also realized that Liege was her father's daughter. She led as a general who respected and loved the men who fought for her. Liege also spoke strongly, showing her ability to handle such responsibility and pain.

Liege looked up into the ship, knowing it was her duty to kill O'Calhern. Surely with this bloodbath he would not venture out, so she would have to walk directly into the snake pit. Jack followed her line of vision, making Riddick look up as well. Liege looked at the pair, who now presented nothing short of two beings, so bonded in passions of every kind that it would take apocalyptic events to break them apart. Even then, not even death could shatter their seamless link.

"Liege." A clear voice cut the air, making Liege's ears twitch. Turning she saw Falc almost wading through the mutilated bodies that still pumped out blood. Behind him Rick followed with determined efficiency, trying not to step on anyone.

"Thank ye Falc, and Rick. For watchin' from above." She said, with an approving nod. She could no longer be a fighting schoolgirl. Now it was impossible to avoid the heritage that awaited her.

"You're welcome. We decided that from now on we will fight with you and for you." Falc stated, standing an arms length from Liege, who watched with slight amusement as. This would be the only time both of them had the same face of promise.

In response, Liege held her hand out. Falc knew it wasn't a handshake she was looking for, instead the traditional Roman arm grip that the used in the legionaries. Riddick watched with a quiet and undetectable awe. Minutes ago Liege was just another fighter and now she was almost an emperor. She gathered forces by just speaking the truth and represented something that most people would fear fighting for. Yet young men were willingly signing themselves into this army.

'No,' Riddick thought, correcting himself as he gratefully looked up at the moons without his goggles. 'This is no army. This is a family.'


	38. Chapter XXXVIII

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed x2 – well, if my fic can serve as a sort of…excuse the terminology, addiction, then we're even. You guilt trip, I do my best to hold back. Thanks for reviewing.**

**unable2trace – awesome that you've been following it, if you have questions or critique _please_ don't hesitate**

**FluidDegree – oh yay! We're picking favourites now! **

**Chapter XXXVIII: Post-Battle Tension and Decisions **

"Damn bitch, ruinin' me plans." O'Calhern muttered, watching the screens in darkness. He had left himself eight men to protect him. At the time he thought he wouldn't need it, but he had underestimated how good a team Liege had. Greatly underestimated.

"Sir, what are we goin' to do?" one of his smarter protectors asked, watching the screen a respectful few feet away from O'Calherns chair.

"I'm thinkin', ye idiot." He snapped back, wondering how much time he had on his hands. Probably five minutes at best. Growling, he stopped the livefeed and rewound it to the beginning of the fighting.

Sighing, he put it on a slower fast forward, figuring he had to save time. Propping one hand up to rest his head on, he kicked up his feet and crossed one over the other, getting a comfortable stretch from having them on the edge of the control panel. Suddenly he snapped at the machine to pause it. Then to start it again, then pause it. This happened about three times before O'Calhern decided he had picked out useful information from this adrenaline-fest of fighting he had witnessed from a movie-like viewing.

He called two men forward, who grunted in response, showing they were listening. Putting down his feet, his swiveled his chair to face them.

"Ye see tha' little lass with the nice rack?" He asked, waving his hand to the screen where the feed was frozen to focus just on Jack and Riddick. The men nodded in reply.

"Get 'er. Don't hurt her too bad, but ye can rough her up a tad. Bring 'er back to me, got it?" He ordered, not needing an answer to his question. To him, his command was all it needed to be done, no explanations required.

As the two men left the room, O'Calhern faced the screen again, feeling slight rays of hope blossom. Perhaps his plan wasn't ruined after all.

"Oh, ye small lassie, tis a shame ye will be the downfall of yer best friend 'n…lover." He finished, not being able to properly decide exactly what Riddick was to this girl.

Jack's bloodied hand slipped between Riddick's arm and his body, curling her fingers around the still tense muscle. That moment of complete peace had fled from him and he was once again the ever-readied warrior. He looked over his shoulder at her as she lightly kissed part of his back that wasn't dripping blood.

"We're ok." She whispered, letting go of his arm and wrapping both of her arms around his waist, cementing herself to his back.

He opened his mouth to reply but instead wiped his hand on his shirt and placed the semi-clean hand over Jacks that were intertwined around his waist. Riddick gave a rumbling growl as a response, making Jack nuzzle her head into his back.

"Jack, ye want to go in?" Liege's voice cut the air. Jack untangled herself from Riddick and stood, watching her friend mount the walkway of the ship.

She might've been surprised at the scene if she hadn't been part of it. It was almost completely dark now, but the moons shone brightly, making the blood on Liege's body reflect. She became a glinting figure, made out of reflection moon rays.

"I…this is your fight, Liege. Your family." Jack decided, not moving from Riddicks side.

"Aye, that be true. Falc, Rick, ye two stay out here with Riddick n Jack. Khan, ye are part of this family as much as McKellern, yer choice." Liege ordered, pointing her two male friends towards Jack and Riddick.

"I will go with you." Khan stated, stepping up on the gangplank. Without words, Kell moved from under the ship and jumped the ramp, landing in a crouch next to Liege. He stood tall next to her, his eyes showing an angry possession.

"Good. Jack if-"

"-something goes wrong, leave right away, regardless of what you think you might be able to do to help. Yeah, I know." Jack finished, smirking.

"Thas me lass. Shall we go in, gentlemen?" Liege asked, gesturing with her arm that they should go first. Khan stepped into the dark ship first, Liege followed and Kell ended the small party.

Liege had her gun at ready, knowing it would be faster to shoot than to throw one of her blades. Holding it down, her finger just on the trigger, she followed Khan who led the small group. She heard Kell almost noiselessly following her, checking doors and passages again after she had.

The ship was completely dark and they barely knew in what part they were in, only figuring it out from memory. Kell now walked next to her, worried for her safety. Suddenly a flare of light went off in a split second and Liege heard at least four gunshots.

For a moment nothing happened, everything was still. Then a few overhead lights flickered on and Liege turned to see a figure slump forward the ground.

Jack jumped and slipped in the blood, startled by the scream that pierced from the center of the ship. She felt two hands on her shoulders, and recognized the grip as not Riddicks.

(A/N: I was totally going to stop the chapter there as a sort of formulated cliffhanger, but then my conscience took over and I decided it wasn't nearly a long enough chapter)-------

As Jack looked up, she saw a man she didn't know and instinctively pulled away but his strong grip wouldn't let her go. Yet time had no proper footing for anyone right now and Jack realized later on that the moment she had felt the unfamiliar grip, he had been torn away.

Riddick had bent down to help Jack up and when he felt the other man next to him, he simply flicked a shiv out and jammed it straight into the man's throat, putting all the momentum from his swing up into it. Sure enough, the blade went deep and Riddick saw the very tip of it at the back of man's throat. Wrenching it to the side, he felt and heard the spine crack and the muscles rip and tear.

The figure tottered a moment then heavily fell to the ground, half of his throat brutally torn open, muscles pumping out blood onto the already crimson stained concrete. Jack stumbled up into Riddick's arms and with his shiv already cleaned and hidden away, he embraced Jack. Suddenly he felt Jack tense and dipping beneath his arm, used him as a solid leverage and kick a man right beneath his head. He had been coming at Riddick and Jack and she had seen him just over the ridge of her convict's shoulder.

He fell back, only to have Jack jump and roughly force him to the ground, her crouched body landing on his chest. Jack barely heard the crack of the sternum beneath her boots, but found no guilt or mercy in her as she watched the pain evolving into unearthly hurt on his face. Stepping back, Jack pulled out a handgun and after a few well-aimed rounds, decided he was dead.

"Jesus, Jack, one shot to the head could've done him in." Rick observed, who had ran with Falc to the unexpected attack scene.

"You're never quite thorough enough yourself, Ricardo, so it isn't wise of you to quickly judge Jack's…methods." Falc reprimanded, still strangely calm at such a sight.

"Shut it, Falc. You aren't my mother." Rick growled, smacking his friend on the arm. "Sorry, Jack." He added quickly, his eyes darting to her large protector who currently had slipped an arm around her waist.

"Thank you God for that." Jack said to no one in particular, her now gun-free hand caressing Riddick's arm. "What about Liege? She screamed and…"

"You said it was her fight, so it's going to stay that way." The familiar rumbling voice stated from behind Jack. She furrowed her brows in response, not wanting anything to happen to her friend.

"She said it, but we didn't." Rick argued, knowing Jack was concerned and so was he. Liege had pulled him out of countless messes.

"But she ordered us to stay with them." Falc noted, his eyes drifting over Rick's body. This was immediately noticed by Jack, who tensed in alarm. Had something happened between them that she didn't know about?

Shaking her head and deciding she would come back to this later, Jack looked into the entrance way where she had heard shots and a scream that was undeniably Liege's. Leaning her head back on Riddick's warm chest, she sighed. He would protect her, that Jack knew, but who would protect him?


	39. Chapter XXXIX

**Thanks to:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – tis a treat for ye…this chapter that is.**

**Note: I'm finishing up the story now and the next updates will be long…and the time in between them will be longer as well. **

**Chapter XXXIX: One Death, One Revenge**

Liege fell to her knees, pulling the now dying body to her. He had protected her and now fate dealt the cruel hand of death. Burying her nose in the familiar and unique smell, her resolve became unbreakable. No matter how many people fell today, Liege would make sure O'Calhern died.

Ordering her other comrade to take the body back and out of the ship, she continued forward, looking for the now-hiding men who had shot at her, Khan and Kell. Putting away her handgun, she eased out two devilishly sharp-looking blades. Using the dim light, she reflected more light into the hallway off of her knives, giving more light to the still-dark ship. Soundlessly walking forward, Liege tried to convince her mind that the wetness she was feeling was just blood tracking down her face, not tears.

Tightening and loosening her grip on her weapons, she stopped a few feet from a closed doorway, where she heard booted footsteps and almost silent murmurs. Paralleling her body to the wall, she inched along, her teeth clenched and her body tense, ready to rip O'Calhern's throat and break every bone in his body. Soon, it would be over. Well, half of this joy-ride anyway.

Taking a step forward she spun and with a strong roundabout, kicked the steel sliding door down like it was old, rotted wood. When Riddick later looked onto the scene, even he winced at what he thought of as a ravaged temple of hatred and wrath. Blood soaked the walls, broken bones that still had tendons attached scattered the floor and the now spilled juices of the guards and O'Calhern gave the room an unbearable smell. Jack could barely make out the difference between what could've been bile and digestive acid, it all smelled horrible. She ventured into the room even after Liege had prohibited it. Jack closed the makeshift door, forever remembering it as the sight, smell and feel of a terrible nightmare that would plague a murderer's sleep. She shook the thought that Riddick could have such nightmares, not wanting to ever bring it up.

Liege advanced on O'Calhern, who backed himself up against the screens, his feet scrambling on the control panels. Mangled bodies lay all around him. She had quickly killed them, but knowing he wouldn't go anywhere, she took her time opening them like animals. Yet Liege had high respect for nature's unspeaking creatures, and no thought at all for those who had betrayed her father and family. When she had entered the room, she knew each of these man had no guilt about turning their backs, they were shallow bastards. She had enjoyed skinning their still-twitching bodies.

"Now…Liege…" he voice quivered, terrified.

"Ye weakling. Can't even kill yer enemy's daughter, what made ye think ye could lead a fuckin' revolution?" Her voice dripped with scorn and disgust.

Stepping closer to him, she elegantly placed one foot in the front of the other, her shivs reflecting light from the now-sizzling panels. As Liege came into clearer view, O'Calhern thought of different raging animals that each move of hers reminded him of.

She stalked forward, each foot having it's proper place, always ready to leap forward and strike. _A big cat, a tiger most likely, it's copper eyes sparkling with savage hunger. Silently stepping forward, it's pads preventing any noise from being heard as the hunter within fought to get out. _

Her blades almost glowed with a predatory gleam, looking like large claws in the dim light. _One of those ancient dinosaurs from Earth, he thought they were called raptors. Calculating eyes, curious twitches but the clicking of their long talons sounded death for any creature. _

The feral noises that emitted from somewhere deep within her lithe body. _There was no one animal to describe these sounds. The guttural sounds of bear, the rippling snarl of a wolf, the majestic roar of a lion, the blood-freezing hiss of a viper…that and many more where mixed to create a terrifying sound that he was sure only she could produce. _

While images accompanied with sounds flitted through his mind, it was soon taken over by the flashes of his life. He closed his eyes to Liege only four feet away then opened them milliseconds later to find her directly in front of him, her golden mercury eyes fiercely staring down into his frightened eyes.

He opened his mouth to scream, but it became a choked yell, garbled with unspeakable pain as he felt what he imagined to be her knife pierce his chest, where his heart should be. He slipped to the floor, his body jerking to and from consciousness as her blade wrenched open his chest cavity. It was replaced by her hand as she dug for his heart and finding it, pierced the still pumping arteries with her nails and finding it loose, yanked it back out and reaching behind her, took a bone from one of his guards and shattered it on the panel above his head. Shoving the organ onto the sharp broken bone she moved it into sight of it's owner.

With one last terrified stare, O'Calhern choked a sob, his body shuddered and went limp to the floor. Her lip curling in disgust at his short-lived time at death's doorstep, she stepped back and kicked the body, pleased to see it twitch into spasms. Grinning, she threw the bone to the ceiling and it stuck, but she doubted anyone would look up. The heart dripped blood down onto her as she left the room, revenge being filled.

Looking disdainfully around the ship, she decided she would enlist everyone's help to clean it before she got it off the ground. That and find a pilot. Trotting out, she stopped at the spot where he had fallen. Liege never prayed, she never held faith in a high power, but now as she swallowed deeply, she was forcefully shoved back into reality. Without the strength of her killing animal, as she privately entitled it, she was still human. Kell had proven that. Closing her eyes and looking up, she imagined she was home and that she was looking up at the vast blue sky. Sending hopes to that endless sapphire space, Liege looked back down and opened her eyes, not wanting the greet the splatters of blood she saw.

Liege stepped out into the dawn, surveying the still bloody scene beneath her. She was surprised that no officials or watchers had come to investigate, but then she realized that O'Calhern probably paid them never to get close to the ship. Sighing deeply, she looked up to see Jack bounding up the ramp and tackling her in a strong embrace. Both girls wrapped their arms around each other, burying their faces in the other's neck.

Pulling back slightly, Liege saw that Jack's face mirrored her own. Tears were being held back, wavering eyes glared at each other, as if chastising the other for being part of this. A few yards away, Riddick mused that if he had just been an onlooker, he would think the two were lovers. Liege tenderly smoothed down Jack's hair, her mouth moving, asking her something.

Jack shook her head in response and then said something briefly. Liege towards where the first sun was rising and closed her eyes, deeply breathing. It wasn't supposed to be this way, no one was supposed to get hurt. Deciding she was being immature, she forced herself to realize that if she was going to lead this family, she would have to accept casualties and maybe even defeat.

"Jack…" Liege whispered, making Jack look up readily into her friends face.

"Yeah?" She asked, sounding hopeful.

"I need ye and everyone else to clean up the ship, but ye should avoid the inner ship control room, tis a bit…messy." She raised her hand to silence Jack. "I need to be alone a bit. Ye take charge, let Riddick help if 'e sees fit, alright?"

Jack nodded mutely, knowing this was painful for Liege. Feeling a tug around her neck, she looked to see Liege was holding Riddick's ring.

"Let 'im 'ave ye, lass. Make it clear yer his. Tis best for both of ye to know things like that in case anythin' were to 'appen." Liege almost ordered, but Jack could clearly hear the pain of loss that echoed in the command.

"Liege, it wasn't your fault."

She turned away from Jack and launched herself off the ramp and landed with a slight splash on the still bloody ground. Standing she briefly looked to where the man who had fell for her lay. Walking to him, she knelt, clenching her teeth as she saw his labored breathes.

"God, Liege, 'm so sorry, this wasn't meant to be like this…" He barely got out, coughing up blood. His normal speech was slurred by the pain.

"No, no…it wasn't." She replied, gathering him in her arms, holding him tightly. Liege didn't want to be feeling the space between his heartbeats grow longer, but she couldn't prevent it.

"Liege…" He called faintly, holding one hand up to her cheek. She looked down at him, not preventing the tears from falling. He struggled to sit up, trying to protest her help. Finally giving in, he ended up sitting but panting. Leaning his forehead against hers, he took both of her hands in his and held them tightly. "Kiss me."

She carefully began to lean forward but he pulled her closer and soon both were lost in a deep passion. When she backed off, Liege noted that in someone's dying moments, every emotion was stronger. Looking directly at her, he spoke clearer than he ever had in his lifetime.

"I love you, Liege."

Without hesitation, Liege replied.

"And I will always love ye." She sealed the promise with another deep kiss, twining her fingers in his hair. His last breath was spent in the kiss as she felt him fall limp against her. Her hands shook as she felt for a nonexistent pulse and as the realization hit her, she lifted her head back and cried. The moment she began to sob, the sun lit the entire sky, crossing over the horizon.

Jack looked on, tears falling as well. As she felt Riddick come up behind her and wrap his strong arms around her, reassuring her he was there, she looked up at his silver eyes that bled sympathy. Jack was giving the same emotions, because she was struck with the thought that she too would be lost and full of pain if Riddick died.

As Liege inhaled the scent of him one more time, she kissed his head and closed her eyes. Perhaps one day this wrong could be righted, but the revenge with O'Calhern's death was never going to right this. Watching his now peaceful face, her body shuddered in emotion one last time. As she whispered her farewell, she knew he would always be with her.

"Goodbye, Kell."

Liege stood, cradling the body close to her, wishing it was warm and full of life. His fiery red hair had become dull as rigor mortis set in. Swallowing, she wasn't sure how to properly honor him. Liege certainly wasn't to put him in a coffin and bring him home, but she knew technically she was supposed to do. Deciding on another method, she found a dry space of ground to deposit the body.

She walked over to Jack and Riddick, who were wound together in a tight embrace. A faint trace of a smile graced Liege's features as she looked up at them.

"'m goin' to take everyone," she gestured to the dead bodies that littered the ground, "to the beach. But I…" she trailed off.

"Don't know how to get there?" Khan filled in, appearing near her, but not too close. He knew Kell had been very special to Liege and it was best to give her space. "I can, only question is how to get them there."

"I can do that." Riddick stated, trying to ignore the fact it wasn't the first time he had to transport bodies.

"I would like it done by the end of today." Liege said, not really leaving room for argument. Soon a cold leader would take place, not letting anyone in for a very long time. Jack inwardly sighed, for she knew this was going to happen and there wasn't anything to be done about it.

Riddick nodded and untangled himself from Jack, who let him go. He started down the ramp and immediately began to organize the bodies in a sort of order. Jack was going to watch, but decided to call on Rick and Falc.

"C'mon guys, let's start cleaning the ship. Liege will want it prepped for take off ASAP." She said, turning to head into the dark ship. Jack felt their presence behind her and felt reassured. She was pretty confidant that Liege had taken out every living human on this ship.

Jack barely noticed Khan join them, scrubbing and wiping the blood away from the floor and walls. Soon the entire ship was cleaned, except for the one room that everyone had to block their noses in order to pass. Remembering what Liege had said, she asked Rick to go out and get him.

Waiting a good five feet away from the room, Jack watched how emotionless and detached Falc was, fingering the cloth that had been washed out countless times, but was still tainted pink. She was about to ask Khan a question when the undeniable presence of Riddick approached.

"Did you finish outside?" She asked, looking up at the now goggled eyes of her lover. He nodded, briefly rubbing Jack's back, knowing that none of them wanted to see this. He and Jack had already ventured in, but it was still an unbearable sight by most people's standards. He ordered Rick, Falc and Khan to clean up outside. As they slowly walked away, his rubbing became a tight grip as he pulled her smaller body against his.

"Jack…" he growled into her neck, suddenly turned on by the smell of her mixed with blood in the air.

"Riddick, not now." She said, closing her eyes, longing to be back in their bed in Imam's house. "But, when we do get free…"

"Yes?" Riddick looked up at her, not caring when she gently pulled off his goggles and let them rest on his neck.

"We could…" she fidgeted, purposely trying to annoy him. She twisted the fabric of his shirt in her hand and let the other one travel up his chest, rubbing over the smooth skin, hot with exercise.

"Jack." He growled, leaning over her and inhaling her scent again.

"Share a shower, perhaps?" She ventured, removing her hand and leaning back onto the wall. Jack was rewarded with a smirk and a slap on the ass. "Guess that means yes."

As they entered the room, both were knocked back by the pure smell of death, decay and massacre. Riddick had done some serious damage, but he had never left behind a mess of this degree. This wasn't a hunt, not by any standards. This was most definitely death by revenge, because Riddick knew that revenge could completely do a 180 on someone's original intent and have a result like this.

"Fuck, how the hell do we start?" Jack asked, nudging a body with her foot. "Can we just burn them in here?"

"No, though the idea is tempting. We could mop up some of this blood." He suggested, noting the depth of the blood that moved in ripples as he and Jack slowly maneuvered around the bodies.

"We're gonna need an industrial size and strength mop for that." Jack joked, not wanting this somber attitude to become permanent.

Smirking, Riddick decided on shoving all the bodies to one side of the control room and working from there. He wasn't too keen on touching them, not because he was skittish, hell, he was more than comfortable, but he didn't want Jack to think she would have to touch them if he was. Roughly toeing them, Jack and Riddick moved them under one of the control panels on the far side of the room.

Two hours later, the room was clean and the bodies were disposed of. Jack had to balance on Riddick's shoulders to pull out the speared heart from the ceiling and neither really wanted to know anything more about it. At the moment, Jack had stepped outside of the ship, glad to be breathing afternoon air. Sitting on a cargo box that had been ordered to the ship by Liege, she wondered when Liege was going to return.

As if fate had heard her, Liege's form came into view, followed by a rather irate Imam. Jack paled at this. No one had contacted Imam since the fight and he must've been up worrying. Swallowing and hoping for the best, she shoved herself off the box and started to walk towards the oncoming pair. Rick and Falc had just finished scrubbing out the last blood in the concrete and were now resting in the sun, laid out on the loading ramp. Khan had gone off to do business of his own, but had promised he would return before nightfall.

"JACK!" Imam's voice cut the air, startling Rick and Falc from their nap. "You come here right now, you imp!" He yelled, causing a goggled Riddick to emerge from the ship, annoyed at all the noise outside.

He walked down between Rick and Falc, not bothering to tell them whether they needed to get up. Going in Jack's footsteps, he watched as Jack was chastised by Imam, who was holding a package of something. Something that smelled like food. Riddick grinned at this, of course Imam would be the mothering hen, bringing food even though he had to scold Jack first.

"You left without leaving a note and I find mysterious belongings of people you didn't even mention were coming! Luckily Liege returned to tell me what happened, for I had been out at a religious gathering. Child, you are lucky that Allah saw fit to protect you without my help of prayers!" Imam continued on, waiting until Jack's face was filled with enough guilt to make him soften. This only took a few more lines of blame and soon Imam hugged her.

"Sorry, Imam." She apologized, looking at the ground.

"No no, do not worry now. Here, I brought you food." Imam held out the package, which turned out to hold various sandwiches with warmed spiced meats from leftover meals. Imam had somehow made enough for everyone, even one for himself.

With the promise of a return to Imam's house, the caring man took leave of the group, glad to know his charge was safe. At some point talk quieted and all eyes were on Liege, who sat on a cargo box, deep in thought. It was clear she was thinking over what exactly was to be done, what consequences there were of this massacre, who knew about it and so on and so forth. Finally running a hand through her blood-caked hair, causing flakes to fall around her, Liege began to speak.

"First. Everyone here, excluding Jack and Riddick, is part of this team. Even ye guys." She motioned to the other loyal fighters who had disappeared after the battle, not to rat out on them, but for solace. Liege knew this well. "Second, we will not depart for a' least two nights, so ye can spend them as ye wish. Third, ye will follow me orders without question and I shouldn't even 'ave to be sayin' this. Fourth, all of ye better be fuckin' clean when ye return."

This got a laugh out of the small group that assembled around her. They got up and began to drift off, Liege telling Rick and Falc to start getting familiar with the ship and then to give her a supply update on the med bay. Khan was still not present, so that left Jack and Riddick.

"Jack, 'm goin' to let this be yer decision, but I would like it if ye sat this one out." Liege started, knowing that would ignite her friends temper.

"Killing O'Calhern might have been your fight but the rest of this, we are in it together whether you like it or not." Jack argued back, her arms crossed over her chest. She was going to fight this one out. She continued on the reasons why she should be allowed to go until Liege snapped an order, sounding like a general of an army more than a friend.

"JACK! Ye will listen and shut the 'ell up. Once ye take part in this business, ye are part of it. It isn't safe 'n it isn't what ye want." Liege pointed out, not wanting the argument to continue.

"Jack, listen to her." Riddick quietly said, noticing the flare in her eyes flicker as he asked her.

"I don't know where this," Liege gestured a link between Jack and Riddick, "is going. But if ye ever want to 'ave kids or something…ye can't."

"What?" Jack asked, not sure where this was going.

"Jack, there are traditions in me…line of work tha' even I stick to. One of 'em is taking anyone connected to us…well, takin' their children and using them as needed. Like…lab mice. They could be runners for weapons, guards, field workers…ye want to keep yer kids. Tha' and either of ye by yerselves are targets for other enemy…gangs." Liege tried to ignore the disgusted look on Riddick's face as she tried to describe what would happen to their children.

"What do you mean, Liege?" Jack was worried now.

"Is too late to avoid this part, 'm afraid. Any other gang can link me to ye and Riddick. They could and would use ye against me in threats 'n such. Tha' 'n to start a war. They kill someone 'm connected to, or in better terms, someone in me family, and as revenge, I will kill one of theirs and presto. A killin' spree."

"But Falc and Rick…"

"Know what they signed up for." Liege confirmed.

"But you're going to need our help." Jack continued lamely. She knew it was a lost battle. Inside she also knew she couldn't risk losing Riddick. Never could she risk that.

"Look, I will keep in touch with ye n if I can, return when this mess is sorted out, alright?" Liege offered, sighing in discontent. She wanted Jack and Riddick to accompany her, but in her heart of hearts it was too dangerous. And for Riddick to be connected as a convict to her family was another complex matter she cared not to take part of.

"Got it. We'll be back to say goodbye." Jack returned, slipping her hand into Riddick's larger one. They turned and began to walk home, leaving Liege on the cargo box. She considered briefly returning to pack up her stuff, but she figured Jack would pick it up. Turning to go into the ship, Liege figured she would shower then get to work repairing this piece of flying shit.

Smirking, she shut the ramp door as she entered the main bay. Calling for Rick and Falc she wondered who could make a decent dinner.


	40. Chapter XXXX

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – do you know how happy it makes me when I post it, then maybe less then a hour later my mail pops up and I think 'Well, that can only be one person…' – yes, it was between Kell and Khan, and Kell was picked. Why? Well, you'll find out later. Mwahaha.**

**crematoriacon – I do believe you're a new reviewer! If you aren't, I apologize, my memory isn't…well, we can say that my computer's memory is about infinity times better than mine. Thanks for reviewing.**

**NightmareWeaver – heh. The mysterious ways of the world, yeah that is kinda of strange, but neat. See? People _do _get gifts when they return from vacation. Glad you liked it.**

**FluidDegree – Let's hope he thought positive thoughts with the subject of chilluns. Glad you liked it!**

**Joker – yes, twas sad. Thanks for reviewing. **

**NOTE (please read): it seems that there will be more then just 'a few chapters to wrap up the story'. Is this a good thing? Let's hope so. If it seems like I'm prattling on about nothing interesting, for all things caffeinated and good, please tell me in the reviews. And, if you think there is something being left out, tell me as well. I like to hear from all of you, really I do. hands out Riddick chibis **

**Chapter XXXX: Riddick's Squishy Emotional Insides…and Rick getting what he deserves **

The pair walked in silence, Jack glancing up to see how close they were to Imam's house. She tightened her grip on Riddick's hand, suddenly exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally. When he noticed this he stopped and watched as Jack's eyes blinked rapidly, showing her fight against the fatigue that was creeping up on her. Slipping his arm around her waist, he pulled her directly next to him. Startled, she looked up and he smiled down at her, making her smile shyly back.

"Gonna make it?" He whispered, nuzzling her hair. Snorting when flakes of blood came off, he decided to kiss her neck instead.

"At this rate? With you _torturing _me like this?" She stopped, enjoying the attention being given to her. "Doubt it…"

He nuzzled her now red neck and grinned. Jack felt this and tensed…if he was thinking of something…well she'd be damned if it happened to her. With a sudden movement she was swept up into his arms.

"Thought you might like a little chivalric knightly heroics." Riddick said, chuckling as her face lit with pleasure. He knew she had always loved the idea of knights in shining armor, rescuing their lady loves from terrible dragons. But, this was no maiden in distress, certainly the opposite if anything. All the same Jack wound her arms around his neck and almost giggled the whole way home.

As Riddick stepped over the threshold they were met by a waiting Imam, who raised his eyebrow in question when he saw them. He waited as Jack finished laughing and smiled, happy to have them home. It was lonely without the two bickering or just talking in quiet tones late into the night.

"I wasn't aware you two were just married." He observed, making Jack break out in hysterical laughter, amused at the sour expression Riddick wore. "Well you know, the groom carries-"

"I know, Holy Man. We aren't married but let me tell you, the wedding night has already passed." He smirked now at Imam's suddenly alarmed face. Jack gently punched Riddick in the shoulder, annoyed at him for saying that…or at least telling Imam in general.

"Well. Congratulations." Imam offered in reply, becoming stiff, if not completely cold. "Jack, I thought you of all people would-"

"Don't give me that bullshit, Imam. I'm quite old enough to do what I want." Jack growled at her mentor, twisting out of Riddick's arms to land on the floor with ease. "Riddick is what I want and no lesions in chastity or any of that crap is going to change me, so lay off."

"Jack, c'mon. Let's go upstairs." Riddick said, with a tense command beneath it. His eye contact never broke with Imam and it showed a harsh cruelty, as if warning Imam that he shouldn't bring it up again. Ever. Guiding her almost rigid body to the stairs, he gave a final soft growl in Imam's direction then turned his attention to Jack, who was shaking off whatever emotion she was currently feeling.

They didn't say a word as they entered their room, locking the door behind them. Riddick slipped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, wondering if Jack's offer still stood. Hoping it would, he exited the bathroom and found Jack disarming herself and carefully depositing each blade or gun on the window sill. He noted that each one was already completely clean as he approached her from behind.

Sighing, she stopped as he stood behind her, but not touching her. Turning suddenly, she braced herself on the ledge and looked into Riddick's eyes, which were still un-goggled from before. He wasn't sure what she was thinking or what was about to happen. 'She's the only thing out there that I can't predict,' he mused, while watching various emotions flit across her face.

"I wasn't lying."

He was taken by surprise.

"Come again?"

"When I said you're what I want, I wasn't lying." She restated, waiting for his reaction. She was patient and watched as his brows furrowed, evened and his breathing pattern change ever so slightly from even to barely hitched. "Jesus, Riddick, I mean it. I want you with me, I want to have you near me, I want your protection and…"

"And…" he continued, his voice barely audible.

"And I just don't know if that's what you want." She lied directly, not wanting to say that four-lettered word that he had heard maybe once in his life, maybe never before. "You want your freedom, that I know, but do you remember the last thing you told me before you left?"

He stared at her in response. He remembered alright, but he didn't want to say it.

"'Freedom comes in many forms.' Is that still true?" Jack asked, praying for acceptance. If he rejected her, she would undoubtedly throw herself into Liege's service, regardless of what her friend warned. Without Riddick she could be an ultimate fighter, because she really had nothing to lose.

"It does." He responded, taking a step back.

"Fuck! Is it that fucking hard to see? I love you, Riddick!" She yelled, taking up a blade behind her and throwing it, catching him on his cheek. The only noise heard was the thunk of the blade as it embedded itself into the behind him. Jack approached him, surprised she had actually cut him and he hadn't ducked. "I…" her anger and determination gone now, she couldn't say anything. Stopping in front of him, she raised her hand to his face, making direct eye contact. It wasn't broken as she rubbed the blood away with the pad of her thumb, or as unbidden tears began to well up and fall from Jack's eyes.

Riddick turned his head, holding Jack's hand to his face and began to kiss it, tasting his blood on her skin. Placing light kisses on her wrist, he felt her pulse going at a hyper speed beneath his lips. Pulling away he looked down at Jack who was still crying.

"Jack. I…" he couldn't find the words. She waited, ignoring the pain of his hand crunching hers as he struggled to say the same. "I love you." He finally whispered, not surprised by the sudden onslaught of kisses that he received.

He shivered as Jack tightened her leg hold around his waist and inched a little lower, making his pants too tight and showing a little too much cleavage. She leaned forward and he had to close his eyes as her breath tickled his ear. "Now, I believe there is a shower awaiting us."

"Alright, kiddos. 'm probably not going to sleep tonight, so ye can sleep in separate rooms. Unless ye two are…happy sharin' a bed together." Liege announced, leaning on the kitchen counter and facing Falc and Rick who sat at the table.

"I'm comfortable either way, it's Ricardo's decision." Falc replied, not looking at the other man.

"It's Rick, you bastard."

"Ricardo is just so much more…" Falc trailed off.

"Sexy." Liege filled in.

Silence met her as she watched the faces fall into realization. Liege began to smirk as she turned around to rummage through the fridge for something that was hopefully un-alcoholic. No such luck.

"Liege! I'm not a fag, you know that!" Rick exclaimed and even a deader silence met him. Liege turned around with a positively hateful glint in her eyes and a low growl came from her throat. Falc had gone paler than usual and turned in his seat, getting up and leaving the room.

"Ye fuckin' bastard, can't ye use better terminology!" Liege hissed, pushing Rick up by the collar of his shirt and pinning him to the wall.

"Well, at least the room problem is cleared up." Rick said, nonchalant of what was happening. This resulted in his head being smashed on the wall, accompanied by a feral snarl from Liege. "Calm the fuck down, Liege. Christ."

"I will fuckin' calm down when ye go apologize to Falc." She said, dropping him to the floor. As he stood, brushing himself off as if nothing had happened, he snorted in her direction.

"The hell I will." He replied, turning to leave the room. He shouted as his collar was roughly grabbed again and he was being dragged down the hallway. Liege ignored the curses and continued to pull the body through the hallway. Finding the door, she kicked it open and threw Rick in there. This was no easy task considering he had more body mass than she, but with pure adrenaline as her blood, Liege had little to no issues.

"It's a fuckin' order, Ricardo." She said evenly, watching him get up, stumbling in the dark room.

"Where the hell are we?" He asked, ignoring her statement.

"In a gym. And I will beat ye into submission unless ye go apologize right now. Keep in mind, 'm goin' to be there so ye won't be bullshittin' it." Liege informed him, cracking her neck. She could use some practice.

"Well, get ready to be beaten, Liege." Rick spat, going into a fighting stance.

"Thas 'sir' to ye, ye fuckin' bastard." She replied, throwing the first punch, catching him right in the eye and throwing him the ground. "That'll be a right nice shiner in the mornin' won't it?" She mocked, backing up.

"You bitch…" He lunged forward off the floor only to be kneed beneath the chin then kicked back down by Liege's foot. He had bitten straight through his lip when she kneed him and as he went into a crouch, he wiped away blood and saliva that dripped from the side of his mouth. Looking up at her he stood, determined to still beat her. The next few minutes were jabs and parries between the two fighters, Liege dodging from punches that were a little too close. She knew he was tiring himself out, wasting his energy on fake combat like this. Raising her lip in disgust, she dealt a rather nasty uppercut, catching him perfectly and he was on the floor again. She got there before he could even think about getting up. Pinning his body to the floor, she sharply jabbed his stomach a few times, knowing it would leave nasty bruises.

As he coughed up blood, she refused to notice and re-clenching her fists, she began a direct assault on her face. Liege became wrapped up in the steady breaking of bones in Rick's face and didn't notice Falc look in the doorway and shout in alarm. Glancing up she saw Khan behind him and the next moment she was being pulled back by the well-muscled merchant. She fought back against his vice grip that kept her pinned to his chest, feeling angry not only at Rick but at everything else.

"Liege! Stop this!" Khan hissed in her ear, taking note of how her eyes glinted and narrowed at Rick who was curling into a fetal position on the floor. It seemed that she didn't even hear him. "Falc, take care of your friend. I will deal with Liege."

Falc immediately ran to Rick's side, wincing at the brutal beating that marked his face and body. Gently cradling him against his chest, Falc stood and moved quickly out of the gym, setting off to the med bay, which was thankfully well-stocked. When they left, Khan let Liege go and she stumbled forward, still blind with anger.

"He called him a-" she started, wrath dripping from her distorted voice.

"I know, my friend, I know. You want people to follow you, and you beat them into it? Your father would be very disappointed, Liege." Khan spoke in soft tones, trying to soothe the young woman who raged in front of him.

"No, not beating…" she trailed off, angry now at herself for doing such things. Yes, Rick was a bastard, but he didn't need to be beaten into apologizing to Falc. She hoped he would do so when Falc fixed him up. Liege realized with a slight horror and fascination that she didn't know the extent of her cruel treatment. "Khan."

"Yes?"

"Kell wasn't supposed to die…he was goin' to meet da, 'n maybe things would've progressed from there…but I can't show da a jar of ashes 'n say 'Well, da, meet me boyfriend.'" Khan chuckled as she said that, but it was soon silenced by her somber look. Yes, he had been jealous of the attention she had bestowed on the Irishman, but he knew deep within it would be sinful to form any sort of real, identifiable emotion for Liege. He also know she didn't know exactly what had happened to her mother, and how she didn't know that he was directly involved.

"Liege, look at me." Khan directed, and cautious eyes met his, the copper flaked with angry molten gold. "You think of no higher power, correct?" He was answered with a nod. "But perhaps you put some faith in fate?" Another nod. "So fate would have it that McKellern died. Perhaps there is a deeper reason for him dying?"

This left Liege silent and unmoving. She had never been against the idea of fate, but never placed any holding faith in it either. She would like to think there was no direct _reason_ that Kell had died, that he had died because it was made that way. No matter how she looked at it, he still died protecting her and she would never forget that. Sighing, she sank to the floor, suddenly exhausted.

"Do ye think I should check on Rick?" She asked Khan, who know knelt beside her. She assumed he took on the duty of advising her and helping her. He patted her arm gently and helped her up when she raised her hands to his standing form a few seconds later.

"Falc should be taking good care of Ricardo. Undoubtedly whatever you were beating into the poor Italian will be figured out now between the two. I would suggest a shower, maybe a change of clothes?" He asked, watching as she stretched, popping her neck and cracking various joints.

"Sounds good. Can ye be around afterwards so we can talk?" She asked, starting to walk out of the still darkened gym. Liege was surprised at the snort behind her. "What, what did I say?"

"Liege, you need not ask me to stay, it is my place to stay. You give orders and you can be sure you do not need to beat that into me." He said, laughing. Smirking back at him, she padded back to her room, calmed at the thought of a thorough shower.

Discarding her clothes on the floor of her makeshift bedroom, Liege wondered about what Khan had said. Kell dying for a reason. Was she supposed to be with someone else, or maybe no one at all? Deciding to bring this up with Khan after her shower, she stepped beneath the warm spray and almost moaned with pleasure. Never had she appreciated a shower this much.

Scrubbing out the caked blood from her hair, Liege soaped up, for once taking the time to make soap bubbles that would float in the shower stall until they popped against something. She used to do this when she was younger, her father had taught her how to do it when they were washing dishes together one night after dinner. Cupping her hands together she blew a few more bubbles before she went to wash her hair once again. Finally feeling clean she turned off the shower and dried off, her hair presenting a bit of problem. Quickly braiding it, Liege moved into her room to get dressed.

As she opened the small closet, she spun around with a knife in her hand and found it to settle inches from Falc's throat, who stood behind her. Growling, she resheathed the knife and pulled the towel tighter around her.

"Wha' the 'ell are ye doin'?" She asked, not bothering to keep the anger out of her voice.

"Liege, you really did a number on Ricardo and he although he used…derogatory language, that was not a reason to beat him almost to an unrecognizable pulp." He began to reason, calm as ever.

"Falc, it was a personal insult as well. If everyone in me family are goin' to be comrades they should act as such 'n take care to respect one another. 'sides, needed to beat some sense into him." She mumbled the last part, turning back to find something to wear. She stepped into the closet to change and listened to Falc as he responded.

"More like beat him senseless. Liege, you know I'm…" he trailed off, not exactly comfortable.

"Yes, 'n I always knew, Falc." She confirmed, stepping out of the closet dressed in a black long-sleeve shirt and black pants, both with reflector strips on them, shining white and red. "Ye'll make some man very happy one day, me lass. Now, if only ye could step out of the closet just like I did."

"You're asking-"

"Shush, I wasn't serious. Although ye should consider it."

"I told Ricardo and that was enough."

"You told…him!"

"Yes, it would only make sense after storming out after his comment. He took it well enough but something else is bothering him. Perhaps you could figure it out."

"Sure," Liege said, pulling on her boots, "leave it to the cap'n of this makeshift crew to sort out all this shite. Thanks, Falc."

He smiled in response and they both left the room, not without Liege checking her weapons first. Always better to be prepared, was a good general rule to go by.

Jack cuddled against the bare warm body behind her, not caring that her still wet hair would piss him off. Purring as one strong arm locked around her, she shivered as he blew against her wet neck.

"That, was in short, amazing." Jack mumbled as she felt sleep begin to take her. The rhythmic beating of Riddick's heart behind her lulled her into a deep sleep as he nibbled at her neck. "Now, it's time for sleep."

"Fine." Riddick grumbled, pulling away from her neck and content when she moved to tuck her head beneath his chin. He now had complete coverage over her, able to protect her from just about anything. Satisfied with this knowledge, he waited for Jack's breathing to even before he too fell into a much-needed rest.

At one point during the night Riddick's eyes snapped open and two suspicious silver eyes checked the room, much like a wolf scouting if someone had trespassed its territory. From Jack's breathing he knew she was still fast asleep and he knew there was no need to worry her by waking her. Trying not to move too much, he untangled himself from her and rose from the bed, wondering what had woken him. Pulling on a pair of black working pants, he silently walked to the open terrace that overlooked part of the city. Quickly scanning the streets and roofs, he was even more disconcerted that he still couldn't find what woke him up. Hearing mumbling, he turned to see Jack looking for the missing source of warmth in her sleep, but soon sighed discontentedly and fell back into her deep rest. Heaving a short irritated sigh, Riddick glanced at the streets once again, needing to know that someone or something wasn't lurking there. Suddenly he saw a purpleish figure slip behind the corner of a building in the street. Lips raised in defiance and anger, Riddick let out a quiet snarl, waking Jack. Quickly rising from the bed, she slipped on one of his oversized shirts and her pants and walked to the terrace to see what was up.

"Riddick?" She questioned, approaching him with care. "You ok?"

"C'mere, Jack." He didn't look at her but reached an arm behind him, beckoning her to step into his embrace. Doing just that, he pulled her tight against his chest, making her let out a 'whoof' of air.

"Seriously, what's up?"

"Close your eyes, let go and tell me what you hear, feel and smell." He ordered, whispering it in her ear. Still unnerved by his actions, Jack hesitated but soon did as she was told. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths before she could fully use her senses. First she heard the usual sounds of the night – breezes rattling wind chimes and curtains, the occasional snort from someone's sleep and mice or cats running in the streets, their nails clicking along the stone paths. Concentrating, she heard a singular pair of footsteps running in the opposite direction of Imam's house. She felt not the calm of the dark breeze but the tension of someone, probably who had been running away. When she sniffed the air, she first smelled the deep scent of Riddick, then the pollen of night flowers then fear. Snapping open her eyes, she put these three together and looked at Riddick who was patiently waiting for her confirmation of his thoughts.

"Someone's been watching us." She said simply, now ignoring the general calm of the desert night.

"That's my girl." He sighed, kissing her temple and tightening his hold. "Jack, we've got a choice to make." He continued, not liking the tension he felt from her body that was lax just a few second before.

"Stay and endanger Imam or leave, find freedom and protect ourselves. You know I want to stay but Imam must be safe, so we will leave. But with Liege?" She asked, not looking at him but out at the city she loved.

"I'm with her on this one, we should stay out of it. Doesn't mean we can't have a ship of our own and…travel a bit." He tried to make it sound positive, knowing Jack would have trouble parting from Imam and this home.

"And by travel you mean attempt to relax but still be on the run from mercs, right?" She asked, someone sarcastically.

"Now why would say that, Jackie?" He mocked returned.

"Well," she turned around and looked up at him, a devious smile on her face. "You are the sexiest convict alive, so it's no wonder mercs are chasing after you. That is, ignoring the huge-ass bounty on your head."

"Right, so their second motive is chasing me for my…sexiness?" He replied, amused but skeptical.

"Well duh. Ever think. Doesn't mean we can't have a ship of our own and…travel a bit." He tried to make it sound positive, knowing Jack would have trouble parting from Imam and this home.

"And by travel you mean attempt to relax but still be on the run from mercs, right?" She asked, someone sarcastically.

"Now why would say that, Jackie?" He mocked returned.

"Well," she turned around and looked up at him, a devious smile on her face. "You are the sexiest convict alive, so it's no wonder mercs are chasing after you. That is, ignoring the huge-ass bounty on your head."

"Right, so their second motive is chasing me for my…sexiness?" He replied, amused but skeptical.

"Well duh. Ever think _why_ you're always chained up with bits and handcuffs?" She asked, raising her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. He thought for a second, trying to ignore the actual subtext of her question.

"Jesus, Jack. You've got one sick mind." He finished the banter, rolling his eyes.

"Damn skippy."

"Damn what?"  
"Never mind, Riddick. So ship? We're gonna steal or actually do something legal. For once." She changed the course of conversation, not resisting when he guided her back into the room and sat down on the bed, pulling her towards him.

"You think I'd actually go somewhere without having a way out? There's a ship prepped in a port about three hours out of the city."

"Seriously?" She asked, turning around and staring at him.

"Yes, seriously, Jack. Now go to sleep."

"Wow, Big, Bad, Dark and Evil has a solid plan." She was silenced by a light cuff on her hip. Smirking as she snuggled into him, Jack was relieved that she could keep Imam safe and still be with Riddick.


	41. Chapter XXXXI

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – but an arrogant jerk who deserved that beating. Yep, I'm siding with Liege. **

**FluidDegree – hey that's fine, I mean it's absolutely awesome that you're reviewing to start with. **

**tamekabu – glad you think so. There is more background in this chapter, well, towards the end of it, but I believe there will be…one more chapter and an epilogue? Maybe two and an epilogue? **

**Chapter XXXXI: Farewells and a Glimpse into Liege**

As expected, Liege didn't sleep and sat in the pilot's chair, recalling the grand total of four lessons on how to fly a ship. She had checked the occupants of the rooms and found that Falc had watched Rick while he slept in the med bay, recovering from her beating. After she and Khan had talked thoroughly of fate and other bothersome subjects, he had left the ship to wrap up a few business transactions before he left with her. With an energy drink almost dangling from her hand, Liege had her feet propped up on the controls and was watching the sky from her seated position. Soon she would flying up there, and she hoped all the right instincts would come to her call when she did. She also tried to put that last event she had gone to out of her mind.

Sighing, she briefly thought of Jack and Liege and decided to leave Jack a memo that if she could bring her stuff back to the ship that would be very good time-wise. Distracted, Liege hoped that Riddick had convinced Jack that the battle in Liege's family was one she should stay out of. Feeling a pang of loneliness, Liege stood to work out some excess energy in the gym when a light began to blink on the panel. Cursing when she saw it was a call from home, probably where they were keeping her father, Liege considered what to do. She certainly had to answer it or they would know something went wrong. Biting her lip, an idea came to her and she typed the equivalent of an away message, saying that the crew had left the ship to celebrate capturing Riddick.

She sighed a breath of relief when the call signal ended and then cursed again when she realized that she would have to leave as soon as possible, most likely tomorrow. And tomorrow would be in a scant four hours. Liege hated to do this, but she had to contact Jack, probably disrupting her sleep with Riddick.

Deciding to contact Khan first, she quickly dialed in the call number and waited for him to connect. The screen soon flickered with a tired face of Khan.

"Is something the matter, sir?" He asked, already accustomed to have Liege as his commander.

"No…well, yes. We need to leave within the next four hours. 'm goin' to place a request for takeoff, and I need ye here. Ye finished yerr last business, I assume."

"Yes, sir."

"Good, pack up and get here as fast as ye can. Luckily we've got enough food and medical supplies for the trip. If ye think we will be needin' anything, pick it up." She finished the call, cutting the signal. She had to be the leader now and as much as she hated ordering him around like that, it had to be done.

Closing her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the next call, Liege dialed in the call number from memory. She had to wait longer for the answer, but when the screen came up, she winced to see the annoyed face of Riddick.

"Let me speak to Jack." She said, her tone even and cold.

"Jack's sleeping. Tell me."

"No. Get 'er up. I don't have time for this, Riddick. Get. Her. Up." She ordered, wondering how he of all people would take this change.

A snort was her answer as she heard him gently awaken Jack, who cursed at his bad timing. Hearing the light padding of feet, she was greeted by a sleepy Jack.

"Jack."

The voice snapped her friend awake, her cloudy eyes now focused and alert.

"Liege? Why are you calling?"

"I'm takin' off in a few hours, 'n I need me stuff from Imam's house. Can ye get it here? Tis just the bag." Her previously tense voice relaxed, as if speaking to Jack as the friend she was, not ordering her around.

Liege watched as Jack's face fell, then regained a sort of tired composure. She was clearly tired from the fight and the added stress of knowing of Liege's departure didn't help at all.

"Alright, I'll get it now and I'll head over with Riddick. Need anything else? Food or something?" She offered, as if Liege was going on a picnic and not returning home.

"No, thas plenty. Ye two got plans yet?" She asked, relieved that Jack was taking this alright. And to think there was the possibility of them returning to school this year.

"Yeah, we're going to leave Helion Prime on our own ship-"

"MY SHIP!" Riddick's voice boomed out from the darkness behind Jack. Liege smirked as Jack rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, his ship. Anyway, we're going to just…travel around I guess."

"Sounds lovely. Can ye give me the call number of the ship, just in case I need to reach ye and grumpy guss?"

She didn't need to wait for Riddick to come over because the moment after she called him a grumpy guss, his annoyed face came into view.

"Grumpy guss? Christ, Liege. Yeah, here's the call number." He typed it in and it transferred straight into the memory of Liege's ship. "So I guess that wild animal sex I was going to have with Jack is being put on hold?" Liege smirked at the outraged yell Jack gave at Riddick's comment.

"'m afraid so. I'll be expectin' ye two soon."

"Got it. C'mon, Jackie girl, time to get dressed." And with that, the connection was cut. Liege was content knowing that went well, maybe it being a look into the future. Hopefully Jack would be that good-natured about saying goodbye to her. Somehow, she doubted it.

Leaving the main control room, Liege quietly walked the hallways, intending on finding the med bay. Stopping at the door, she tapped in the code and bulletproof glass door whooshed open. She mused that she had ordered the glass in the med bay door to

be refitted with bulletproof glass.

'Nothing like paranoia,' she thought as she found Rick bandaged up and sleeping soundly on a bed. Falc was sitting in a chair next to him, fast asleep and holding his friend's hand lightly. 'Perhaps Rick's been hidin' something, too.'

"Falc." She spoke quietly, hoping to only wake up him and not Rick. She wasn't in the mood to explain her actions. She tried again and his eyes fluttered open and he looked at her, still tired.

"Liege? What is it?"

"Change of plans, mate. This ship be leavin' in less then four hours. Ye need anything off ship?"

"No, I already contacted Jack and asked her to bring Rick and mine belongings. May I ask why?"

"No. I'll be givin' a brief after departure. 'm goin' to ask ye to be with Rick when we take off. Don't want anything happenin' to our dear Italian durin' take off."

"Will be done."

"As I expected. Oh, 'n Falc?" She asked, forcing him to draw his gaze away from the sleeping form of Rick.

"Yes?"

"When we get home, 'm afraid ye'll have to refer to me as 'sir'. Tis a bit of standard. If ye don't, a) Khan will be after ye 'n worse b) me da and 'is men will be after ye." She reminded, leaving the med bay.

Glad at the lack of fatigue she was feeling, Liege walked into the main room to find Khan sitting in the co-pilots seat. Sitting herself in the pilot's seat, she sighed.

"Khan, how the 'ell did ye get in?"

"I took the liberty of memorizing the entrance code."

"Ah. I see. Ready to go home?"

A silence met Liege and she looked over to find Khan staring out of the ship, watching the sky. The sun was beginning to rise and a few birds flew in the air. Deciding not to bother him about it, she went to work requesting take-off. When she about to call in, Khan's strong hand gripped her wrist.

"I will do it. There is no need for the captain and commander to be doing this sort of work. And I believe Riddick and Jack are waiting outside." He said, taking control briefly. Nodding her thanks, she went to the door and opened it, walking down the ramp to greet them.

Riddick tossed her the bag and she caught the strap with one hand then threw it directly into the ship. Continuing down she was met with a stone-faced Jack and a surprisingly uneasy Riddick.

"I'll let you kids have some time together." Riddick quickly said, excusing himself to go up into the ship. As he walked up the ramp, Liege frowned. What the hell had happened in her absence?

"Jack, what's up?" She asked, approaching her friend who looked angry now.

"You're leaving, that's what's up." She growled, turning away. She didn't care that she was being super immature, but to her it wasn't fair that she had to leave Imam _and_ that Liege was leaving her.

"Oh c'mon, let's go for a walk." Liege sighed, annoyed that this was going to be harder then it should've been. Gently taking Jack's arm she steered her to the exit of the port. The port was situated right on the edge of desert, where the light sky blue pools spotted the golden sands, like leopard spots. Or so Jack thought.

"Liege, how the hell am I going to know you're going to be alright? I mean, you said yourself, it's a dangerous business. How are you going to manage without me and Riddick? We really could help." Jack started, knowing that she wouldn't go back on her plans with Riddick, but she need to know why Liege was doing this.

"'m part of this family, I've been raised to step to this position. 'sides, ye and Riddick gave me a firm start, so 'm goin' to alright. 'n it isn't as if I've got no backup, there is an entire family of fighters waitin' for me return. 'cept they don't know it's really soon that I will. Yes, ye two could and would undoubtedly help, but like I said, ye shouldn't be caught up in this." She said back, still calm. They were on the sand now, taking a slower pace. Dawn was had arrived, but the heat of the midday suns didn't make the sands unbearable to walk on.

"I'm going to miss you." Jack said, not looking at Liege who was also not looking at Jack.

"I know, lass, me too. But ye've got Riddick, don't forget tha'." Her voice died down, remembering what had happened just a few hours ago.

_She had thanked Riddick for gathering the bodies and separating Kell's. Then she and Khan had left for the area where Riddick had quickly hidden them. In silence they had set up the funeral pyre with wood Khan had brought. Liege wasn't unfamiliar with this form of 'passing on' and knew how to set up the wood and Khan knew as well. _

_As Khan soaked the dry wood with burning oil he had brought with him after he had finished his last business, Liege carried Kell's body farther off and created a special pyre, where she could easily collect his ashes to bring back with her. She decided that there, at home, she would release them into the wind so Kell could rest in peace at home. When this was finished, she walked back to the area where the others were going to be cremated and with the appropriate prayers in Gaelic, she set it afire, watching as the flames licked and eventually covered the bodies of those who had fallen. _

_She didn't care if the smoke attracted anyone, it had to be done in order to honor them. When the last ash had fallen, Khan helped her pick up handfuls of ashes and spread them to the wind, whispering a prayer with each. When they finished, Liege led Khan to the single pyre where Kell peacefully rested. The moment her eyes rested on his pale face and bloodied torso, her throat tightened. Unbidden tears fell as she lit the pyre, the blaze quickly traveling across the wood. _

_Khan stepped back to let Liege have her privacy as the body was cremated. His head bowed in respect, he was surprised to hear Liege begin to sing. He had caught on small phrases of Gaelic and even with that little knowledge, tears too came to his eyes when he listened to the song. It was an honoring hymn that begged for mercy from the rulers of the mythological Celtic underworld and blessings from the god of war. Yet the last of the few verses were that of expressing love to the deceased. Khan had to close his eyes and turn away, for the words tugged at his heart, reminding him of the hymn that Liege's father had sung for her mother when she died. _

_When he looked back, Liege was simply humming a tune of what Khan remembered as good fortune and she was collecting Kell's ashes and carefully putting them in a jar that had Gaelic blessings written on the outside. Done, she stood and looked at Khan, who had recovered from what he considered a moment of weakness. _

_Without words, Liege turned and began to walk back, the sealed jar carried in front of her with both hands. She then continued a quiet singing as Khan followed behind. _

"Liege, I'm sorry about Kell. I know I barely met him, but from what I assumed…" she trailed off, not knowing how to show her condolences.

"Tis fine, Jack. Come, let's return to the ship. I'll be leavin' soon 'n Riddick will want to know where ye are." She turned her hell in the sand, sliding down a small dune. Jack followed her and the two walked in silence for a few moments. "I know ye haven't been considerin' it, but I think Riddick would make a great da."

"…no, you're right. I haven't been considering it, but thanks for the compliment, I'm sure Riddick will be…pleased." Jack answered, at first a little alarmed then it fell into amusement. "You know, he said he loved me."

"Did 'e really? Thas fantastic, luv. Congratulations. If we 'ad more time I would throw a party. Trust me, I got the drinks to last for at least three parties in the ship." This made Jack laugh aloud as they entered the port again, heading towards the ship.

Jack walked up the ramp first, Liege behind her. Taking lead, Jack was led to the med bay. Not sure why she was there as Liege tapped in the security code, Jack racked her brain. Had someone gotten hurt?

"I figured ye'd want to say goodbye to Rick 'n Falc as well." Liege explained as she stepped aside to show an awake Rick, still heavily bandaged and a watchful Falc, who stood at the entrance of his two friends.

"RICK! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!" Jack yelled, motioning towards all the wounds and bruises that were visible over the light cover.

"Liege got pissed off at me." He answered, his voice not his usual sarcastic tone. Jack spun at Liege who just gave a cold glare, not willing to explain. "Don't worry, Jack, I had it coming. Though I wish someone else had given it to me instead of her. Fucking hell, she really knows how to beat a guy up."

"That she does, Rick. So, you're gonna be draggin' your lazy ass to wherever I may be in the future, cause this is goodbye. Well, just goodbye until we meet next." She replied, looking down at her friend.

"Yes, we know. It's sad, I was hoping we could have more time here." Falc said, glancing over Rick, as if checking for any worsening conditions. Finding none, he looked up again and Liege and Jack. The latter rounded the bed and hugged Falc tightly, sad that she was leaving him too. "Oh Jack, like you said, I'm quite sure we'll meet again."

"Course, you know, just a little hard to say goodbye. It's not like we'll be meeting in school or something." She replied, stepping back from Falc and moving to lay a gentle hand on Rick's forearm. "Take care of yourself, Rick, don't let Liege beat you up too much."

A snort was given in reply as Rick winced from his bruised ribs. Pulling himself up slightly he weakly opened his arms for an embrace and Jack lightly hugged him. Stepping back she nodded at Liege who opened the door to the med bay and let Jack through. Giving a last glance at Rick and Falc who looked away when she watched them, Liege let the door close behind and followed Jack to the main room, where Riddick would undoubtedly be.

Sure enough, he was in the pilots seat, having a light conversation with the merchant. He stopped mid-sentence when Liege entered and stood.

"Sir." He greeted her, with a terse nod. Waving him down, Khan sat again and didn't fail to notice the confused look on Riddick's face. Since when Liege, younger than Khan, was 'sir'?

"Ready to go, Jack? We can leave tonight." He said, standing and walking over to her.

"Yeah, sounds good. Lemme just say bye to Liege." Turning to her friend, she sighed and looked at her very what seemed hours, but was only a few silent minutes. Liege moved her hand and unsheathed a blade, the one she had bought from Khan. In return, Jack lifted the chain that held Riddick's ring over her head and both held out the items for the other. In relative silence, Jack found a place for the knife in her pants and Liege slipped on the chain, comforted by it's weight.

"Ye'll be hearin' from me shortly." Liege said, holding out her arm. Jack gripped it in the same Roman fashion as before. As she bit her lower lip, Liege, in an uncharacteristic display of affection, pulled Jack into a brief hug. "Stay strong 'n beat the shite out of Riddick while ye be havin' sex, alright?"

Jack's response was a roll of the eyes then a gentle smack on Liege's arm. Riddick was amused as well, wondering how so many sex comments about him and Jack made it into one day.

"Will do. Have no fear, Riddick will be domesticated and tame by the next time we meet. Take care of yourself. And tell you dad I say hi." Jack replied, ignoring the snort of disbelief next to her.

No more words were spoken as Riddick and Jack left the ship. With the ramp pulled up and locked in, Liege sent Khan to the med bay to tell them that they were taking off soon. Strapping herself in, she readied the ship, pausing only to watch Riddick slip an arm around Jack's waist as they walked back into the city. Continuing as Khan strapped himself in and started to assist Liege in take-off, she sent a short ray of hope to her father.

The goodbyes between Riddick and Imam were almost wordless, but the farewell from Jack to Imam was silent and emotionless. Multiple times in the past she had thanked him for watching over her, but now he had insulted her for her choices, and she wasn't going to stand for that. Not with Riddick involved. As they shouldered their few possessions (Jack had chosen to leave most of her stuff behind), Riddick watched Jack as she unconsciously fingered the blade Liege had given her. He had also seen her do the same with the ring and figured it was a sort of connection feeling she received when she touched the object.

Jack's step was lighter as they exited the walled courtyard and within moments of leaving the house, she was even smiling. She was free, she wasn't going to have to finish school and she was even with Riddick. For what seemed until the day she died.

"We're going to load up then leave, alright?" He asked, knowing her confirmation didn't make a difference but he felt he should make conversation. She had been uncharacteristically quiet since Liege left, which had only been a few hours ago.

"Sounds fine, I'll…break in the ship." She replied, looking thoughtfully at the horizon, as if plotting something.

"Break in?"

"Yeah, you know, get used to it, get my bearings…of the bedroom." She added, smirking as he laughed in return.

"Jesus, Jack, you're gonna be a handful." He grumbled, running a hand over his head and back again, rubbing his temples.

"You ok?" She asked, suddenly concerned.

"Yeah."

"And by 'yeah' you mean, sure, maybe I'd like to fall into hibernation for the next few months. You've got to start sleeping like a normal person, I mean, look at Liege. She's basically an insomniac, you don't want to end up like that." Jack reasoned, the amused clipped tone came back in her voice, giving Riddick some peace of mind.

"What, with an Irish accent, defensive attitude, a fighter and consumer of only foods that energize?" He returned, randomly listing things he remembered about her.

"Well, sans the Irish accent, you're basically her already. Nevermind. You think she's doing alright?" Jack asked, her tone going back to being quieter and wary. Totally opposite of who Jack truly was, at least in Riddick's mind.

"Long as she doesn't beat the shit out of her crew, she's going to be ok. She's got Khan to look after her and when the whole mess is over, hopefully she'll have her dad, too."

"Checkmate." Liege growled, moving her queen across the antique chessboard she had found in O'Calherns private room. Khan sighed, this being the fourth time defeated. They had been playing since they had set a direct course for home, which was the lone planet of Kalekkit, a lush green environment, not unlike the Ireland he heard of from Liege's family.

"Liege, perhaps you should check on Rick. We've been playing nonstop and I'm tired from being beaten." He suggested, seeing the caged animal look in her eyes. She hated the feeling of only have the length and width of a ship to prowl about.

"'e should be fine, 'e 'as Falc watchin' 'im." She responded, waving the matter off while still staring the chessboard down.

"I don't know what you are going to do with your spare time. We have-"

"Thirty-one weeks, I know. 'm goin' to put this bitch into hyper-speed when we've cleared most of these other…residential planets." She informed, breaking her staring contest with the board and looking up at Khan who nodded in confirmation. He wasn't opposed to the idea at all. "'n don't even _suggest_ cyro-sleep."

"Never planned on it." He muttered, almost shamed for he was about to offer that exact idea before she shot it down, not even intentionally.

"Good, 'm goin' to read for a while." She said, standing and leaving the room without a second thought. Liege didn't even have to question the fact that Khan would act as second-in-command while she was busy occupying herself with more interesting things than staring out into infinite space.

"So, they captured Riddick, we've got to let ye go. Alive, unfortunately." The guard informed Liege's father. Stepping from the cell, he let out a throaty snarl to the man who let him pass. Following a narrow pathway, he soon found himself underneath a trap-door. With a easy shove, it gave way and he hoisted himself from the prison he had been kept in.

Deciding to tidy himself up just enough to be presentable, he quietly ran through the lush forest, hoping to come upon a stream or pond. To his luck, a small clear pond appeared in view and he quickly knelt and thanking the earth in Gaelic, he drank from it. Once the ripples settled he looked at his reflection and found his hair had grown to a length where he could braid it almost as easily as he had seen his daughters hair braided.

"Just 'ad to be wearin' non-tie boots, didn't I?" He grumbled, trying to find something to tie his hair back with. Not wanting to hurt the trees or any other part of the forest, he gathered his hair back and used another piece of it to tie it. Satisfied, he set to work on finding some sort of community.

A very strong man, Rian stood well over six feet, close to six and half, or so he had been told. He too had fiery red hair and his eyes shone a bright green, blending with the emerald forest around him. He moved smoothly, all well-defined features moving together in one motion. The only change once he was an adult was the hardening of his eyes when his wife died and then he had to part with his daughter. His face hardened as he thought of the man his wife had defended so long ago.

As he swiftly walked through the thinning forest, he remembered with bitter sweet joy the day Liege was born. Her real name was Aidan, which had the meaning of 'fire'. Even as a child she was full of passion and mischief. In the days where both she and her mother were happy and he could spend time with them…those were his favourite to look back on. He had been working the business with his brother, so they could both take breaks from time to time, feeling safe leaving the work in the other's hands. Yet his brother died from the short epidemic as well, leaving him wife-less and brother-less. Aidan was his only family left and he guarded her fiercely, teaching her every way of fighting and strategy he knew. Soon it became clear that the older she got, the more danger she was in and he had to send her away to Helion Prime, where he threatened his merchant-supplier, Khan, with death if he didn't protect her and watch over her.

He felt slightly guilty for not telling her the truth of the entire past, but he knew he must do it as soon as possible. Although, he realized, telling her now when she was older and more volatile, could end up badly for him. When he was courting his future wife, she had been in an affair with the present weapons commander of the house, who had been a younger Khan. He had been told by his brother, both who were in complete control over the family at the time. He loved her dearly, yet with a possessive control, had no desire to share her with another. She in return, loved him as well, but her heart was also with Khan. It was soon arranged that it would be Khan to go and assassinate a man who had the political motive to attempt to wipe organized crime out. During the time he was gone, for both extra training and the actual mission, she had fallen deeply in love with the Irishman. Their engagement was announced only to be ruined by the news of the failed mission.

Khan was exiled after being rescued by his once lover, too sad and lonely to believe that she was to be wedded to another. Scarred and broken, he left for being a merchant and soon created an underground network of weapons trade. Now, she and Rian were married and it wasn't long until they realized their firstborn was on its way. The news quickly spread through Kalekkit and there was much rejoicing. Months flew by and Aidan, later Liege, was already riding her first horse. As if fate could not resist twisting their threads, a cruel epidemic raged through neighboring systems, soon creeping into the lush planet they called home. Aidan's mother was struck down as well as Rian's brother. Soon they were left alone to rule the family and he single-handedly raised his daughter, refusing any and all help unless it was from his comrades.

Before he realized it, he had stepped into an open field of a farm. Blessing the fates that it was one he was familiar with, he ran round the fields, not wanting to trample any of the crops. Skidding into the farmyard, he was confused to find only stray hens and goats wandering about. He walked forward into the house to find that O'Calhern's men were trying to take over it. With narrowed eyes he took up a herding staff that was leaning by the door and within half a minute, the men were knocked unconscious on the ground.

"Great gods! Tis Rian!" The husband exclaimed, helping up his wife and children who had been forced to sit huddled on the floor against a wall. "We thought ye were dead, good sir!"

"No, not dead. Is everyone alright?" He asked, looking over the children. The smallest tugged on her mother's skirt, who scooped her up and comforted her. The other two, both boys, wearily approached Rian.

"Ye will help us?" One asked, timid but a clear determination was hidden.

"Course I will. Yet, I might need yer help as well." He thought, a plan springing to mind.

That night he slept in the farmhouse, after cleaning up and being well-fed, he revealed his plan to the father and the two boys, who were eager to help. Satisfied, he was happy to sleep in a real bed. Looking out the window and up into the stars, he wondered how Aidan was.


	42. Chapter XXXXII

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – apologies for the confusion, clearly I didn't make it clear enough in the last chapter. Sorry about that, TRO, let me clear it up for you now. In the previous chapter Liege relayed to Kalekkit base that they had captured Riddick so they wouldn't suspect anything had gone wrong and still think O'Calhern was alive. That wasn't why Kell was killed, but it definitely adds to why Khan wasn't killed. **

**FluidDegree – Yes! They were lovers. There be a line about them a little farther down. **

**VainFirechild-EverSoVain – glad you like it! Thanks for the review! **

**Chapter XXXXII: Separation and Reunion **

She wobbled a bit after un-strapping herself from the co-pilots chair. Jack knew Riddick was a little rough with take-offs, but in all honesty, she didn't think it was that bad. Giving a little moan of unhappiness at the sudden headache that brutally attacked her.

Riddick was still setting a course and stood just in time to steady Jack as she tipped over. Holding her close, he scooped her into his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Jackie, you don't have your space-bearings yet, do you?" He asked in a gentle voice, carrying her to their bedroom. On top of the dizziness, he knew she was really tired so rest would help.

"Ungh…" she replied, snuggling into his chest.

With a quiet chuckle, he balanced Jack and tapped the code into the door lock and it swished open, closing behind him. Keeping the lights off, he took off his goggles after he lay Jack on the bed. He knelt, removing his boots as well as hers and soon lay beside Jack, who immediately moved towards him, pillowing her head on his shoulder.

As she slept on in peace, he stared at the ceiling, memorizing every detail, trying to avoid thinking of his future. He was sure it involved Jack, but other then that it was a mass of confusion and he avoided it. Soon he fell into a light nap, reassured by Jack's heart beat, beating in unison with his.

"Rick, for chroist's sakes, don't ye 'ave any better table manners?" Liege snapped, staring down Rick who sat to the side of her. It was a small table, a perfect square in fact. Khan sat across from her and Falc and Rick sat on the sides. He had been out of the med bay for three weeks now and was soon finding that being confined to that bed was better than realizing he was confined to one ship for at least another month.

"Well, if you hadn't beaten me up, maybe I could get some basic motor skills down, like eating." He retaliated, angry at her sudden attack. She had been on his back since he was walking and kept him busy and working, no matter how menial the tasks. He was grateful for Falc's defense, which sometimes helped matters that involved Liege's nasty temper.

"Respect her." Khan stated, motioning from Rick to Liege with his fork. He was watching Liege always and kept her in line, although he almost always stood on her side during an argument, while Falc would side with Rick. This left a two versus two, making it nearly impossible to agree on anything. Yet, in those times, Liege would merely pull rank and the matter would be settled according to her wishes.

"Thank ye for makin' dinner, Falc, twas very kind." Liege acknowledged the usually silent member of the group. He dipped his head in acceptance and continued to eat, his manners perfect in every way.

"Right, well, I'm outta here." Rick said, pushing his chair back and standing, although weakly. Almost immediately Falc stood, waiting to be a human crutch, always waiting to help his friend. Liege took this in and hoped that the taller of the two wasn't falling for the Italian. It could make things messy once they got to Kalekkit.

Falc quickly took their plates to the sink and with approval from Liege, helped the unaware Rick out of the room. Khan sighed deeply once they were out of earshot.

"Why must you be so mean to Rick?" He questioned.

"Got to put 'im into place. Khan, there will be other, colder leaders when we get home 'n if Rick is parted from me, 'e will be chewed up, spit out 'n shit on. 'es got to learn some respect. Even then, if others see 'im disrespectin' me, they will undoubtedly beat 'im as well." She explained, ignoring the small streams of guilt that were steadily flooding her mind.

"But you can protect him from that."

"I can, but I won't be there all the time."

"True, true."

Liege had been ticking off the days and she decided that Rick would be strong enough to hand a full-throttle hyper-drive. In his weaker condition, he would have been disoriented for at least ten days afterwards and unable to keep any food down, which would be very bad for someone in an already weakened condition. Little did she realize that Falc wasn't one for flying already and Khan wasn't overly fond of any sort of hyper-drive. Personally, she lived for that pull, it was irresistible and more then once had Khan had to swat her hand away from the switchboard and the lever that operated that function.

"How long does it take to digest a meal like we just had?" Liege asked, not looking directly at Khan.

"I'm not sure…wait, at least wait a hour before you hit it. And you _must_ tell Rick and Falc." He growled, not caring if she had thought he had stepped over the line of ordering authority figures.

"Khan, my friend, my advisor, my comrade, 'm not tha' cruel. Tis tempting, though." She mused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

Khan sighed deeply, reminded of Liege's mother as her hair shone brightly in the light, like a continuous silken wave of fire that she was named after. Her mother had had lighter hair, giving the golden shine to the red hair she had inherited from her father. The golden eyes were completely her mothers, though. Khan tried to block the passionate nights in which he spent entwined with her mother in the massive bed that he was not supposed to be in. He growled out Liege's real name for a split-second, but even she caught it.

"What did ye say?" She immediately questioned. It was forbidden to speak her name anywhere except at home. Even then it could only be spoken to the most intimate family members, only the blood members.

"I…nothing, Liege. You should rest before we go into hyper-drive." He said, switching the subject.

"I know what I heard, Khan, 'n if I ever 'ear it again from yer mouth I will not stray from traditional punishments." She said, her voice icy and cold as she stood to walk to her bedroom. Only after he had heard the door to her private room whoosh close did he take a deep breath of air. He had barely realized he had said it, but as he dared to whisper it again, he felt relieved knowing she still believed it was important.

"Aidan…little child, you were so free." He barely whispered, looking into the distance.

Rian had risen early and was going over the plan with the two young boys who swore to fight for him. He was amused, yet pleased with their fierce loyalty and decided it must come from their father, who told Rian he had lost a brother because of O'Calhern.

As he half-listened to the boys recite the plan quietly two each other, he felt excitement as he thought of the moment he saw the life drain from O'Calhern's eyes. Little did he know, his dearest Aidan had already done so. Standing tall over the boys once more he nodded in confirmation at their mission. Soon they were walking down the road, as if nothing was unusual.

Turning on his heel, he went back to help work the farm with the couple. They insisted that he of such high blood so he should not help them, but he refused and set to work.

Months passed in this manner, confusion and turmoil wrecking the land due to rumors that O'Calhern wasn't returning and the old power was still lost. Rian wondered if these were true and if so, what was happened to Aidan. She said she was going to sort things out, but if she was she was certainly doing it in secret. He was still unable to overthrow the remaining forces of O'Calhern because if he was alive and returned, Rian would be in trouble. That and the capture of Riddick, which Rian began to think was just a lie fed to the underlings of O'Calhern's forces to raise morale. He would have heard if there had been such a capture from other contacts in other systems, but he hadn't had a chance to reach any of them as of yet.

Little did he know that only miles away was his own daughter trudging through the forest with her comrades, annoyed with the lack of human development.

"Chroist, we'll never find anythin'." She snarled, although inside she was secretly relieved that they hadn't been going in circles.

"Patience, sir." Khan reassured, walking behind her. Falc and Rick walked behind, alert to all surroundings. They had passed the time in the ship being trained to exhaustion daily by Liege and Khan. Their instructors battled each other often, maybe even three times a day just for basic exercise. When they landed, they had done so in the cover of night. Now they were walking through forests, eating little because they were quickly running out of food.

"Liege?" Falc's calm voice called from behind. Turning on her heel, she gave him a critical stare. "May we stop for the night?"

"Ye don't 'ave the authority to ask, then again, no one 'ere does. 'n no. We won't stop. 'm thinkin' of a plan." She replied, not nearly as snappish as she had been weeks ago.

They continued to walk, trying to make little noise as they avoided dry branches and dislodged rocks. Suddenly Liege came to a full halt, causing Khan to nearly walk into her back. Looking into the darkening sky, she let out a shrill cry, much like a hawk or eagle.

On a compound in the same area, a pack of maybe twenty dogs lifted their heads and perked their ears. A few stood, waiting for the sound again. Upon hearing it they all stood and completely unnoticed, slipped into the evening. Swiftly running through the forest, they were spurred on by the continued signals, picking up their pace until their red tongues were lolling in deep pants.

Khan turned, hearing the almost silent thudding of paw pads. His eyes widened when suddenly a large pack of hunting and defense dogs came upon them, immediately swarming around Liege. Laughing quietly, she sat down among them, scratching their ears and referring to each by name. He smirked, of course Liege would use her dogs to track down her father, how else would she have done so?

Rick and Falc were friendly to the animals, petting them when they came around to sniff and inspect them. There were wolf-like, large and sharp canines glinted in the moonlight, serving as a reminder to who was closer to the top of the food chain as of the present moment. Soon they were walking again, Liege gleefully following her dogs as they sniffed out her father. About two hours later about ten of them stopped and looked up at her, a few of them gently bumping their noses into her leg. Kneeling down she petted them and whispered praises, which they readily lapped up with wagging tails and quiet barks.

Standing, she turned to talk to them and kept her hands occupied by scratching the ears of two dogs who stood on both sides of her. "Alright, 'm goin' in to find me da, ye will stay 'ere with eighteen dogs 'm 'n takin' two. Settle down but don't get to relaxed." Liege ordered, taking off her pack and depositing it at the base of a nearby tree. Immediately all the dogs surrounded it, sniffing it and finally protecting it by sitting next to it.

"Caesar, Merlin, ye're with me." Liege said and two large scruffy dogs stood and walked to her, tails wagging. "Ah, two of me favourite Irish wolfhounds."

"Don't be long, Liege." Khan said, setting up a rough 'camp'.

"Don't tell me what to do 'n I'll be away as long as need be." She snapped, turning around and walking away from her group. The two huge dogs padded after her, licking her hands. In a few feet, she began to run and in seconds she was out of view.

Stopping near the edge of the forest, Liege caught her breath and knelt, petting her dogs who stood on either side of her, tongues lolling.

"Find da." She whispered, standing and walking as Caesar led the trio, sniffing the ground and edging closer to the edge of the forest.

Rian stood outside the farmhouse, breathing in the clean air and the fresh crisp wind of the evening. Leaning against a wooden pillar of the stable, he thought he heard something behind him. Turning he was faced with dimly light darkness for about fifteen feet then the looming forest. Not seeing anything, he turned back to face the town, wondering what it was that made him turn.

Liege had backed away into the forest, hoping she hadn't been scouted. If she could call back Caesar and Merlin then they could run, but whoever this person was could easily run after them. How could she call them back? Biting her lip in confusion she started to walk back, thinking her dogs would follow her back eventually.

Shaking his head he shoved himself off the wooden beam when he felt a wet nose nosing into his hand, licking it. Glancing down he almost gasped when he saw one of his daughter's dogs. They had gotten out? Escaped? Been thrown off the compound? Thoughts raced through his head as another wolfhound approached from the mists of the forest. He frowned, something wasn't right. They traveled in a pack, as Aidan had taught them, not in pairs and never alone.

One of them turned around and whined, as if calling for something or someone. Looking up from the dogs Rian thought he saw someone in the forest. Suddenly thoughts connected as he felt warmth from the leather collars. Someone had been holding the collars and the only person who could do that and not be bitten was Aidan. Turning to the forest he softly called the name.

Liege's head snapped back as she heard her name, instantly recognizing her father's voice.

"Da?" She called out, hearing him call her again.

Her breath caught in her throat, she tore blindly through the forest, leaping over fallen trees and barely making it across paths of broken branches. Breaking from the forest she was greeted with barks and the rejoiced voice of her father. Seeing him fully in the light she threw herself into his open arms, never feeling more relieved at human touch.

Rian gripped his daughter to him, kissing her head and blinked back tears of joy. Pulling back he looked down, meeting her teary gaze. She had grown so much, looking like the perfect mix between him and her mother.

"Aidan…" he whispered again, kissing her forehead.

"Da, yer alright." She said, holding his hand tightly much like she had done when she was a child, scared of something new.

"Course I am, lass. Course I am." He reassured her, setting his large hand on her shoulder, happy to see her safe.

"So much 'as happened, da." She whispered, tears choking her again as she remembered Kell's death. Pulling her into another hug, her father led her into the farmhouse, relieved to see that no one had woken at the dog's barking. Setting her at the table, he got her some bread and water, which she chewed silently, tears still tracking her face.

"Tell me." He gently requested, hearing a deep breath from her.

"Kell's dead, da. 'e died protectin' me. I killed O'Calhern, 'es long gone. 'm 'ere with Khan 'n two of me mates who signed up with me." She let out in one huge rush, not seeing the widening and narrowing of her father's eyes.

"Well, tis good O'Calhern's gone. Yer goin' to get promoted for tha', ye know." He said offhandedly, wondering what difference it would make. "Aidan," at this she looked directly at him, "'m truly sorry 'bout Kell, I remember the lad and 'e was always a good one 'n ye got to believe I was very 'appy when ye told me of yer relationship. Will ye pursue any others?"

She shook her head. If she was going to led an entire family in a universal business, there wasn't time for pursuing relationships. She had lost years of training for it and would have to make it up now, so that dampened her spirits even more. With Kell, he could have helped her and they could have worked together in their relationship.

"So be it. Khan is here?" he asked, with a sharp glare. Tonight had to be the night he revealed to Aidan exactly what had happened all those years ago. She nodded in reply, still sitting in shock of his death. "Where?"

In reply she whistled softly to Caesar and Merlin, who stood readily at her command. Padding over to her, she instructed them to retrieve her friends and the rest of the pack and bring them here. They slipped out the door into the night, leaving the father and daughter alone, deep in thought as the fire in the hearth illuminated the room.


	43. Chapter XXXXIII

**Chapter XXXXIII: Battles of Mind and Body**

"Jack, Jack, babe, wake up." Riddick said softly, shaking her bare shoulder. He wasn't sure when she had taken off her shirt, but she must've felt too warm during the night. She groaned, curling away from him. With a final shove off the bed, Jack sprang awake and rolled on the floor, jumping up, eyes angry and alert.

"The fuck, why did you do that?"

"Time to get up." He said simply, getting off the bed and walking into the bathroom as if nothing had happened. With a raised lip in a half-snarl, she stalked after him. But when she saw him shirtless, just about to take off his pants, her anger faded and she approached him as she would approach a wild stallion, calmly, yet with confidence.

Passing a hand over his back as she slipped by to turn on the shower, she felt his eyes watching her form. Leaning into the shower, she found the right temperature and when she shoved off the wall to stand, she stood back into his chest, his arms suddenly wrapped around her waist.

"Mornin', Riddick." She said softly, closing her eyes, lost in the sound of the shower and his heartbeat mixed together, lulling her back to sleep.

"Jack." He said, nuzzling her neck, his hands running up and down her bare sides, easily spanning the distance. "You know you'll have to undress to get into the shower…"

She opened her eyes in a glare and dug her nails into the back of his neck, where her hand had been resting. He winced slightly at this, deciding he wouldn't pull these sorts of things until Jack had her coffee.

"You want me undressed? Do it yourself. You know what they say, _darling_. You want a job done right, you do it yourself." She replied, smirking as she turned around and out and his grasp.

Laughing, he approached her, kissing her neck as he slipped the straps of her bra down. "Trust me, I'll be doin' this right." This earned him a beautiful laugh that he felt through her throat and a helluva good time in the shower.

"So, Riddick isn't captured?" Rian clarified again, looking over the small crew Liege had bought with her. Rick and Falc were sitting and Khan stood apart, wary of being around his lover's husband.

"No, 'e is with Jack, floatin' in space somewhere." Liege replied, standing near her father. They painted an imposing picture, especially standing in fighting garb.

"Ah, this makes things so much better. Alright, we attack tomorrow at dawn." He decided, pleased with the unexpected outcome of events. Walking out of the farmhouse with his daughter in tow, the door shut leaving Khan, Rick and Falc.

"Wouldn't want to be on his bad side." Rick said, turning to Falc who nodded quickly in agreement. Khan sighed, pulling his hand down over his face. This was going to be hard and by the cold-shoulder and looks Liege had been giving him so far, it was clear her father had told her of their dark past.

As Rian walked across the dirt path that led to the village, Liege watched him, wondering what was eating at him. After last night, she imagined he would be relieved to have finally told her. To her and his surprise, they had both taken the news and reaction rather well.

"Da, whas wrong?" She asked quietly, walking beside him.

"We're goin' into battle tomorrow, Aidan. Ye might be the last one of our blood alive by the end of the day. Khan may help ye, but how…" he trailed off, face deeply set in worry.

Liege didn't reply for she too had thought of that when she was told of the oncoming battle to take back the compound. It wasn't going to be easy, nor pretty. Yet, she knew somehow all would end well.

"Ye will be alive. Tha' much is certain." She stated, believing it firmly.

"How…" he asked, looking sharply at her.

"I 'ave nothin' to lose in this battle, so I can fight like hell's fury." She said. "I will protect ye if it comes to tha'."

"Just because Kell is dead doesn't mean-" he started, angry at his daughters lost look on life.

"It isn't just tha'." She snarled, turning on him. "Rick, Falc, Khan, yes they mean somethin' to me, but 'm not devastated without 'em. I know Jack 'n Riddick are safe, so they can't be touched 'n they 'ave each other, no need of me. 'n is been planned tha' one day I'd take over 'n if ye die…I've been prepared for it me entire life, da."

"That is all true, Aidan. That is true." He replied, his head hung in slight despair. For such a young woman to have nothing in life was painful to him. "Hell's fury, ye say?"

"Ten fold." She replied, looking straight in front of her. He nodded and pulled her off the path into the forest. They walked in silence, she not questioning where she was being taken to. Soon the forest ended and a small clearing appeared, only to drop off at a cliff.

"Then, ye must 'ave an army tha' will fight to serve yer hell's fury." He said, motioning down beneath him. Liege's eyes widened in amazement.

There, beneath her, camped an army so large she couldn't see the end of the tents that bedded them. Many were preparing for battle, while others had mock-fights. Some were freshening weapons that had been put away, in hope that they would never be needed. She glanced to her right, where a man stood with two snorting horses. Looking at her father, he nodded and with a small smile she walked to the man. He dipped his head in acknowledgement and gave her the reigns. Liege led them over to where she had been previously standing, looking at her father once again.

He took the reigns of the horse closer to him and turned to mount and Liege did the same. Soon, both father and daughter mounted, he led her down a mountain path that curved through the rocky crevices and down to the camp. He soon picked the pace up to a canter and they entered the camp in the same manner, the thudding of the hooves alerting the men. Liege's face hardened into that of a commander as thousands of men stood in respect and saluted both her and her father.

Finally the rows of tents ended and Rian turned his horse quickly and Liege did the same, looking back on their army. She had known many men were loyal to them, but never to this extent. Liege asked her father in her eyes if she could view the camp herself and with a terse nod, he turned his horse again and galloped to what she thought was the tent where he would be staying. Vowing not to dally too long, Liege kicked her mount into a canter and headed back towards the center.

As men stood she waved them back down, she felt no need for them to stand for her. In confusion some trailed her while others returned back to their work, eager for battle. Liege continued at a canter until she heard a voice call.

"My lady!"

Pulling her mount to a halt, it skidded on his hind legs then turned, snorting at the abrupt change. Walking back towards the man who had called her, Liege looked to specifically who it was.

"Pardon, me lady, but it was I." A young man, obviously able to wield any weapon and still be kind and gentle, approached her cautiously.

"What is yer name?" She asked, turning her mount so she could look down at him and get a clear view.

"Michael."

She nodded and waited.

"I…tis me wife, she was very sick when I left 'n I wanted to know if she still lived but I 'aven't-" he stopped when she held her hand up.

"Ye will 'ave news of her by this evening. I promise it." She said, making sure she remembered every detail she could about him. "Run to my father, tell 'im 'm goin' to the farmhouse 'n I'll return as soon as possible."

He gratefully nodded and sprinted off towards the main tent, Liege following his movement. Satisfied, she looked to the cliff where the semi-hidden passage lay. Turning her mount, she kicked it into a full gallop, glad that no one stepped in her way. Faces and tents blurred as she thundered towards the looming cliff that she easily turned her mount up onto and in a quick trot, made it up. Easily finding and following the path she had used to walk there with her father, she broke out into a gallop on the open road, the dust kicked up behind her.

To her surprise, Rick, Falc and Khan stood outside of the farmhouse, waiting with their gear packed. Whistling to her dogs, who eagerly stood and carefully approached her horse, she gave a sharp look to the other three men and turned back around. In silence, she led them to the passage and in a few quick commands, told them how to get to the camp.

Watching them disappear into the forest, she spurred her horse on ahead, in search of this Michael's wife. Sighing as she trotted into the next town, Liege almost wished that Jack was there with her. Calling a nearby townsperson to her, she asked the whereabouts of Michael's home.

As Liege dismounted, walking towards the main tent, she instructed a nearby messenger to find Michael and tell him his wife was alive and well. Pushing back the flap of the tent, she was met with a tense scene.

Khan and her father stood across the table from one another, deep in argument while Rick and Falc were unsuccessfully trying to sleep on the canvas-covered floor. Her face twisted into quiet rage as she walked towards the two adult men in the tent.

"Do not think ye can make decisions for my daughter!" Her father yelled, his eyes flashing.

"I'm just trying to protect her, something you could have done better on Hellion Prime!" Khan shot back, not caring how far he went.

"How dare ye of all people accuse me! She was safe until I was captured! Don't ye even think about caring for her, ye useless dog. I will not let ye go after her the same way ye did my wife." He snarled, his voice quieting to an even wrath at the last statement.

"You will not let me care for her and feel for her when she has lost her love? You are more cruel and heartless than the disease that took her mother's life!"

Liege was bristling at this and just as Khan saw her, she viciously kicked him, making him double over in pain. Kneeing his face in the same fashion she had done to one of O'Calhern's men on the ship, she felt no compassion as he fell to the floor. An animalistic roar was her voice as she yelled at him.

"How dare ye speak to me father like that, ye whoresons spawn. We are goin' into battle and ye fight like this! Ye disgust me, Khan. Get out of this tent. Now." Her body shook with anger as he stumbled out of the tent, gasping for air.

Rian's eyes were widened in amazement. He had no idea that his own daughter could take on a full-grown man, even blinded with anger. She was much more a fighter then he had previously judged.

"Why were ye arguin' over me?" She asked, looking at her father.

"He came to me, askin' if ye would be put out of battle. 'e didn't want ye fightin'. Things…progressed from there." He informed, taking note of the now wide-awake Rick and Falc. "Yer friends, perhaps they should stay out of battle."

"Rick, Falc." She called, watching at they stood with grace, awaiting orders. "This be not a bad idea. Ye good with blood?"

Both nodded.

"Ye were both decent in emergency aid class. Da, we could put 'em in the med bays." She suggested, looking back at her father who nodded in agreement. "So be it, report there now." And with that, both shouldered their packs and left the tent.

At dawn, thousands of readied armed men stood in the clearing mist, looking at their target. A seemingly unpentrable compound stood before them, frenzied watch guards running to get backup, although they too realized the end was near.

In a shout of anticipation, the army parted and two riders thundered forward, their horses breath clouding the air. When they reached the front, the army meshed together behind them, quiet once more. The two mounts stamped their hooves, impatient and angry. In the clearing morning, it was clear that one rider was male, the other female. Both had fiery red hair that shone like rubies in the light. They stood in control of their army, oblivious to their nervous mounts that skittered and danced in front of the men who were anticipating a bloody battle as well.

As the riders kicked their mounts into gallop once again, the army roared as one beast as they ran behind their leaders, yelling battle cries as they tore head-on into what was to be a

vicious, yet quick fight.

----

Jack slept lightly in Riddick's lap, who was massaging her leg with one hand while setting course with the other. She happily purred into his neck, pushing against his body with hers, waking at the growl he replied with.

"Sorry 'bout that." She said, blushing.

Pulling her into a forgiving kiss, he closed his eyes, relishing the fact that Jack had become accustomed to almost no light on in the ship, allowing Riddick to walk around without goggles. Just as she opened her mouth to him, an incessant beeping began, making a light flash on the keyboard. Groaning he reluctantly broke the kiss and saw that it was an incoming call.

Jack pouted as she turned to straddle Riddick, making it slightly more comfortable for her. Looking at the annoying blinking light, he swore she could have glared at it hard enough that it would shut-off in mid-beep.

Receiving the message, he sat back, hoping this was worth it. Last time it had been Imam checking to see if Jack was pregnant yet and she had cursed him out with more vile and crude curses then Riddick had ever heard put together. Instead they were greeted with the tired, gravelly voice of an Irishwoman.

"Jack, Riddick, ye be there?" the disembodied voice rang out through the cabin.

"LIEGE!" Jack realized, hoping she hadn't been too loud.

"Aye, tis me. How be ye two?"

"Nothing's happened. Screw that, how are you? What happened?" Jack said, subconsciously gripping Riddick's hands with both of hers. It was relief enough to both of them that Liege was alive.

"We got the compound back. Me da's recoverin' but he'll be back 'n helpin' me before we know it. Rick 'n Falc are doin' fine, quite cozy, actually." A hint of amusement leaking in the exhausted voice.

"You mean…" Jack went quiet for a moment then emitted the most ear-piercing squeal that made Riddick twitch for a few minutes afterwards. "YOU MEAN THEY…!"

"Yes, Jackie, yes they did."

"Oh, that is so cute!" She squealed again, making Riddick groan as in excitement tightened her legs around him. His eyes rolled back into his head as she relaxed her vice grip from his legs. "How is Khan?"

A silence met her question and when Liege replied, her tone was dark and stony. "Khan is still with us, although 'e is bein' sent out as a merchant again."

"Oh." Jack said, wondering what had happened for Khan to be exiled again. Shrugging it off, Jack rattled off dozens of other of questions, some met with laughter and others met with pure boredom. The conversation continued and soon Riddick drifted into sleep, only to be awakened by a squeal or tightening of Jack's legs. He wished she would really stop.

A figure dressed in clothes of a mourner stood at the base of a cliff, the black contrasting sharply with the soft white sand that surrounded the mourner. Waves whispered their way up and down the beach with the wind, the white surf bubbling and then twisting apart into smoky snowy tendrils that decorated the waves as they were pulled back into the ocean.

Soft slippers were removed and set by the quiet horse that was tied to the cliff. The shawl that was wrapped around the head of the figure was whipped away by the wind to reveal the tired face of Rian's daughter. Her hair still shone in the sun, her golden eyes equally fiery as the pulsating energy of nature around her. As she walked into the water, she gripped tight the ceremonial jar that held her loves ashes.

Kneeling in the waves she found a sharp rock that fit easily into her hand. Setting the jar into the wet sand, she stood back just far enough so she could still reach it. In a quick movement and startling shatter, the jar split open and the ashes sprung forth, some caught in the wind, others in the oncoming wave. The shattered pieces of the jar were swept away by the sea, forever lost to it's vast domain.

As she lost track of the wisps of ashes her lips moved in silent prayer, similar to what she had sung when she cremated the body of her lover not so long ago. The salty spray mixed with the tears that fell from her eyes, never to be caught by another love. She closed her eyes, knowing that never would she be comforted by another either.

Calling her mount, the gentle horse picked up the slippers in its mouth and trotted to the water's edge, letting her pack them in the small leather pouch behind the saddle. Pulling herself up into the well-worn seat, she softly talked to her mount, letting it break into a canter. As the blue water and soft sand rushed by them, a small smile alighted her face as the gentle winds fingers weaved through her hair, exactly as he had done nights ago.

With a sharp laugh she snapped the reigns and the pair galloped down the beach to where her father was mounted, waiting for his daughter to finish her mourning. He broke into a gallop as she passed him and the two thundered through the water, determined to defeat anything in their path.

**The End.**

**---Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Whether it was once or every. Single. Chapter. I still love it and the critique was very helpful. For my first story I'm amazed at the turnout and what happened, never thought it would turn into this but I'm so happy it did. Hope you all are happy too.**

**P.S. – I'm thinking of a few stories already, so don't think you've seen the last of me. **


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